Our question is, when do you normally take your vacation?

Do you try to get vacation time during the summer, fall, winter, or spring?

Why do you usually choose this time of year? What do you do?

Please take our poll and tell us your thoughts in the comments section!

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The following are 10 true stories. These have all happened to me or my colleagues over the years as hiring managers. I know the job search process can be hard to maneuver. Add the fact there’s a whole set of “new rules” you need to follow to get employers to even want to hire you and a job seeker can feel pretty overwhelmed.

That being said, some things are just common sense. For example, I wouldn’t suggest being any of these:

1. Underdressed

Candidate came to the interview for a professional job in a suit and dress shoes – but with no shoelaces or socks. AND THEN, proceeded to sit with his leg across his knee, tapping his foot, drawing attention to his lack of proper attire.

2. Overly Honest

When asked what the person’s greatest weakness was, she replied, “I hate getting up early and tend to be late to work a lot.”

3. Greedy

When I asked if the candidate had any questions, he said, “Ya. How long will it take until I get a raise?”

4. Not Being A Team Player

When I asked for references, the candidate said, “You can’t call anyone from my old company because I hate them all and they probably wouldn’t say nice things about me.”

5. Ignorant Of Your Professional Persona

When I called to schedule an interview, the recorded message was playing “Funky Cold Medina” and had people making noises in the background. (Do I need to explain more?)

6. Unmotivated

When I e-mailed the candidate about scheduling an interview, she e-mailed back, “Now’s not a good time for me, can I call you in two weeks?”

7. Impatient

After the interview, the candidate called and left me five voice mail messages and sent me an e-mail everyday saying he was just “checking in” to see if I’d made a decision. He did this in spite of the fact I told him, “Don’t call us, we’ll call you.”

8. Insincere

After the interview, I contacted a person in our company who the candidate said would be a reference for her. The employee said, “I should tell you she doesn’t really want the job and is planning to quit if she gets accepted to grad school.”

9. Unprepared

When I asked the candidate what he liked studying the most as a Finance major he said, “I liked the financial stuff.”

10. Desperate

When I asked why she wanted the job, she said, “Because nobody else will hire me.”

Your Next Step

School teaches you everything except how to get the job. You must invest time in learning the right way to job search.

Check out our training videos – they’re all about executing an easier job search in this economy.

My videos are completely free and I’m confident you’re going to find them useful. The link to access the first one is below.

WATCH VIDEO NOW ►

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But how can you use word of mouth to help your job search?

I get most of my viral, real time news from social media. That’s how I learned about of the death of Michael Jackson and that Osama Bin Laden was killed. These are just some examples of how powerful the speed of word is today to spread both good and bad in a nanosecond. It can shape, change, and alter perceptions dramatically and indelibly.

But be very careful what you say and how you say it. Get really savvy about how to use it to your advantage and most importantly respect it. One sound bite from a Tweet, post, or video can be and is used every day by traditional and new media to shape our ideas about everything.

The bottom line is word of mouth remains the most effective way people learn about things, information, companies and the people who are behind them. It really can, as they say “make or break you,” and much, much faster than ever before.

The 2011 Pew Research Excellence in Journalism and Internet Statistics reported…

• 55% of all adults get local news and information via word of mouth once a week
• Adults 40+ prefer word of mouth for politics, government, housing , real estate
• Adults under 40 get news events primarily from word of mouth

Most of the job and career sites confirm that 80% of jobs right now are not posted on job boards – they are only accessible through networking, or word of mouth. Yep, people who know people who know people telling people about opportunities, or making referrals, or connections. A big change job searchers have had to embrace.

How do you and your business become the subject of and object of more of that “good” word of mouth, which builds brand leadership, establishes your credibility, and builds big buzz about you, what you do, and the great results you get?

Using Word Of Mouth To Boost Your Job Search

Here are five lynchpins of trusted, viral word of mouth that are common sense, timeless, and proven:

Relationships

Build strong relationships with people based on a solid foundation, commonality, respect, and reciprocity.

Results

Leverage, lead with and share results with your tribes and communities. Toot your own horn in a good way about the value and benefit you have brought to others.

Referrals

Get referrals when you do great work and turn that into living testimonials that are your most powerful word of mouth tool. Success leads to success.

Recommendations

Getting recommendations created around the buzz of people are talking about you is priceless. Imagine having recommendations from people you may not actually know because someone they trust is talking about you!

Customer Retention

Making customer retention a priority ensures longevity with those relationships you worked so hard to build. Don’t slack, don’t skimp, don’t cut corners, and don’t say no! Always find solutions, compromises, and ways to make things happen.

Here are some great reads from people who have built their success on stand out customer service:

• Customer Service-New Rules for a Social World by HARO’s Peter Shankman
• Raving Fans by Ken Blanchard
• Delivering Happiness by Tony Hsieh from Zappos.com

Also, check out womma.org, the national word of mouth marketing organization.

Putting your customers first and setting them up for engagement, acknowledgement and reward will ensure consistent word of mouth and higher customer retention. It should be a priority. The higher, the more personalized and customized your customer service priority the more word of mouth you will get.

It’s a simple formula: more customer service = more word of mouth = more customer retention.

When your word of mouth makes you top of mind with people consistently saying “you must contact,” “the best person for that is,” or “I highly recommend” about you, then your word of mouth is working.

Word of mouth. Respect it, use it, put more emphasis on it and watch what happens!

What are the best word of mouth tactics that have worked for you?

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Say what?

What’s wrong with this picture? It just doesn’t seem fair that you put a ton of elbow grease into a job search, yet those folks seem to flit by without going through the roller coaster of emotions, personal struggles, and financial desperation that you’ve been through this entire time. Not that you would wish this on anyone, but still… what do they have that you don’t?

It’s a fair question to ask.

Time to take a second look. It could be that there are barriers in front of you that you don’t even know that exist.

Referrals evolve through a series of circumstances. But in order to make those circumstances happen, you need to purposefully work towards making the pieces align at some point in the future. By working in the present, you are creating the opportunities that will come together later – which is likely what these other folks have done.

Barriers To Contact Referrals In A Job Search

This process isn’t magic. It has been the culmination of a much longer process that goes beyond the immediacy of a job search. Here are the top five barriers to job or contact referrals:

1. You Didn’t Maintain Relationships With Key Influencers

How are you managing your network? Are you so focused on moving toward the next event and the new people that you forget to circle back to last week’s function? Many people are so busy trying to be a networking ice-breaker ship that they forget to keep the waters clear on the channel that they just broke open.

Don’t neglect those you just met. Many times, the contacts who aren’t particularly helpful to you in the present can actually be the ones who deliver in the future. Don’t bank on the immediacy contacts from the present moment… make a long-term investment of your referrers of tomorrow. Build long-term connections that will make your pipeline as smooth

2. You Don’t Ask For Them

The most successful people in life are the ones who aren’t afraid to ask for what they want. There is no “beneficent” angel looking down upon each one of us, waiting for that one moment to reward us. Instead, hard work and willingness to express ourselves at the appropriate time can open the doors that seemed closed. But be careful: coming across as “entitled” will dampen your referral prospects. There is a fine line between assertively stepping up and being obnoxiously egotistical… make sure you understand it and don’t cross that threshold!

3. You Don’t Have A Skill Or Culture Fit

Sometimes, in the throes of despair, job seekers start floundering and begin using the shotgun approach. They do this in hopes of hitting something or anything if they stretch their field wide enough. This never works.

Remember, whoever might be referring you is actually putting their credibility on the line by making that referral… and if you don’t deliver on the goods (i.e. the necessary job qualifications and culture fit), that has a negative impact on their reputation. So, have the honest conversation with yourself as to whether you are actually qualified for the job and feel that you would be the right fit before asking someone to go to bat for you.

4. You Came Out Of Left Field

Every relationship has a beginning, and as the old adage goes, “There’s only one opportunity to make a first impression.” There’s obviously always that awkward moment when you make contact with someone that you do not know where you need to establish credibility and build a connection. This means there is a “honeymoon” period to the relationship where trust and rapport are being cultivated. Jumping into motion too soon with a referral request will send the wrong message that you are a “user” only bent on accessing this person’s ability to refer for your own gain. If you came out of left field and are new to this person of influence, take the time to become a known quantity in their network before asking for help.

5. You Are All Bark And No Bite

Another huge obstacle to referrals is when a person ends up being able to talk a good game but don’t show up on game day. Your reputation is your employment currency; treat it that way. Safeguard your reputation and make sure you can produce the goods. Be careful about promising what you can’t deliver and overblowing your credentials. Anyone who refers you only to find out that you aren’t QUITE what you say you are will feel burned. And, like elephants, they won’t forget.

Keep these points in mind when asking for referrals, and consciously and proactively groom your networks for future opportunities!

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While many valuable career “tests” costs money, there are several that require only your time and focus to generate results that—depending on the test—can help you clarify your values, skills, or even specific job titles that may be a good fit for your next career!

What’s A Self-Assessment?

Self-assessment is a process by which you can learn more about yourself—what you like, what you don’t like, and how you tend to react to certain situations, and knowing these things can help identify and isolate occupations that could be a better fit for you. Some of the best career assessments may sound or look familiar to you, and you may even recall taking them when you first began your career discovery process, but a refresher may yield new and even surprising results, so don’t hesitate to try them again.

There are hundreds, if not thousands, of career exploration tests available, but the following five are both enlightening and, best of all, free. My suggestion:

1. Take the Motivated Appraisal of Personal Potential or MAPP if you need to discover your strengths, uncover your preferred communication styles, or see what career is best for you.

2. Look no further than The Keirsey Temperament Sorter®-II. This is the most widely used personality instrument in the world and a powerful tool in helping you discover their personality type, which can help lead you to your perfect career.

3. Check out the O*NET Online Career Exploration tools to find occupations, and conduct skills assessments. My favorite? The Skills Search which is designed to help you use your skill set to identify occupations for exploration.

4. Head over to LiveCareer to identify your career interests (highest to lowest) and learn what jobs match your results; includes workplace fit using seven approaches to work based on the Holland Scale.

5. Consider another great choice called, CareerPlanner which provides online career testing to help career changers discover their calling and ideal career.

Career assessments are not intended to tell you what you should do in life; rather, they are simply a way to safely explore options and gather clues that may help on the road to a career change.

So, if you are unsure what you want to do with your life, or you need some career direction, a career assessment is a great first stop along your career journey.

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Communication Flows More Smoothly Face-To-Face

When you’re in the midst of a face-to-face networking lunch with a professional buddy, mentor, or board member, it’s usually easier to fully express yourself this way than when trying to have the same type of meeting online.

Back-and-forth exchanges have always been more authentic when held in-person. You don’t have to wait minutes, hours, or even days to hear back from the person you’re communicating with allows you to promptly and succinctly deliver your message every time.

Body Language Tells More Of Your Story

As you already know, charisma is a major selling point when trying to win over the person you’re networking with. And, while creativity can help your personality shine via online communications (blog entries, e-mails, tweets, etc.), it’s impossible to hear voice inflections, see your winning smile, or even feel your firm handshake over the Internet.

Misunderstandings Are Often Averted In-Person

We’ve all been there. We’ve received an e-mail that appeared to be somewhat dry, or maybe we responded to a post and then asked ourselves, “Did that come off the way I intended?” Oftentimes, it’s difficult to fully express yourself through written communication, even with italics, all caps, exclamation points, and more. Many times, an arm squeeze or quick smile can clear up confusion, and of course, this cannot be done over the Internet.

Networking in-person is something you should always aim for as an executive. In fact, your only excuse for not doing so should be that you live out of town and simply cannot arrange a meeting. If you can at all, it’s important to always try to do as much offline networking at social functions, over lunch—and even in an elevator—as you possibly can to make the lasting impressions needed to secure a job.

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Having to sit there and think about everything you’ve accomplished in your career can be overwhelming, especially since you have to incorporate different information into each resume every time you apply for a different position.

The process can sometimes be so tedious that it becomes difficult to achieve the focus necessary to send an impactful message. Of course, you don’t want this to happen, which is why it’s good to use various strategies to ease the monotony of the resume writing process.

Work From A Master Resume

One great way to ease the monotony of resume writing is to work from a master resume. The master resume is used as an organizational tool that allows you to place all of the details of your career into one large document. It is never submitted to employer but is instead used as a reference point for you.

By placing all of the details of your career in this one place, when the time comes to write a new resume, you don’t have to think about the specifics of each job you’ve had. Instead, you can simply reference the master resume, easing the stress of the writing process.

Write Multiple Drafts

Another way to ease stress associated with writing a resume is to write more than one draft. In other words, don’t expect to get it right the first time.

Instead, piece information together to create a rough draft. Then, continue to revisit the resume with fresh eyes so you can catch mistakes you may not have seen the first time. After several drafts, you should feel comfortable you’ve created a great resume for submission.

Don’t Write The Resume In One Day

To keep in line with the draft-writing concept, it’s good to not force yourself to write the resume in one day. The longer the break is between the times you look at your resume, the easier it will be to view the document with fresh eyes. So, unless you are faced with a same-day deadline, it’s good to give yourself at least two days to develop a good resume.

Job seeking is stressful enough without adding additional stressors. So take time to implement these strategies to ease the monotony of this aspect of the application process.

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How To Explain A Low GPA In An Interview

But this does not have to be “the end.” There are a several ways to recover and come across as the strongest candidate you can be – even securing the role. Here are some tips:

Stay Confident

Don’t let an objection shake your confidence. If you were not considered to be a serious contender, you would not be sitting in the interview seat. Interviewers often hit you with one or more tough questions or challenge you with statements to see how you react. They want to know if you will be crushed by the pressure or if you will mount an argument to show that you deserve the position. How you handle responding to a low GPA provides insight as to how you might behave on the job.

Always Have a Plan

It is critical to sell yourself. After a major sports event, the athletes are often asked, “What was your plan?” Invariably, the athlete will detail his initial plan and then explain how he went to a plan B when circumstances changed.  The same strategy holds true in an interview; winners always have a primary plan and the contingency plan when the inevitable happens: Plan A goes awry. If a low GPA is your Achilles Heel, make a plan in advance to overcome that weakness. It is foolish to ignore your weaknesses. Have a game plan for handling any objections, challenges, or tough question thrown at you.

Sell Your Strengths

Don’t spend a lot of energy explaining your weaknesses. Instead sell your unique strengths. It does not matter that you are up against competition with near-perfect GPAs. That does not mean someone else’s entire profile is perfect. In what areas did you shine? Were you a leader on campus? Were you an athlete at a Division I school? Did you complete a high-profile internship? Convey your top strengths.

Provide Valid Reasons

Everyone hates excuses. You will need to share a valid reason or reasons for your grades. Maybe a couple of math courses really hurt your GPA. If math is not a necessary skill in your career, that may be worth sharing. If you do, be sure your GPA in your field of study is excellent.

Another factor worth mentioning is how your time was divided. Were you juggling campus activities, tutoring other students, community service, or a work-study program? Were you on a sports team, dance group, or orchestra that required you to practice 16 hours per week? Suddenly, that less than stellar GPA is looking like you were juggling multiple priorities – all with a certain level of importance and commitment level.

The main takeaway is this: Do not allow a single issue or question to knock you down. Evaluate yourself and prepare a case for why you are the strongest candidate. Present a portrait of your whole self and the value you offer the hiring company. Play to your strengths and make sure you are prepared to answer challenging questions with grace and aplomb.

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The issue is that, even if you know what those transferable skills are, it can feel overwhelming when finding ways to communicate them on LinkedIn. Read this article to make sure that while in career transition, you are maintaining a consistent online reputation for your brand.

3 LinkedIn Tips For Career Changers

Here are three things you can do on LinkedIn to better communicate what you WANT to be doing, and help you move away from what you USED to be doing:

1. Use Your LinkedIn Headline To Indicate What You Want To Do

You are who you say you are. In 1997, Tom Peters wrote, “You’re not defined by your job title and you’re not confined by your job description.” in his seminal article in Fast Company.

Just because you aren’t paid by a company to do a certain job function, doesn’t mean you can’t call yourself that job function. Let’s say you were an accountant and now you want to be a project manager. Go to your LinkedIn headline and call yourself a project manager. Sure, it might feel incongruent at first. But if you think about it, then why aren’t you a project manager? You love the work. You’re good at it. You have skills that make you qualified.

And, the best part is, since you now call yourself by the new title, employers looking for one of you will more likely find you when they search on LinkedIn. If you were an employer, would you search up someone using this term, “ex-accountant turned project manager,” or would you just search for project manager?

2. Use The Zip Code Of The Place You Want To Be

Think about a job board. What are the two pieces of information you would use? If you said, “job title and location,” then you’re right. The same is true for an employer when they search for talent: job title and location.

If you are trying to move careers, you need to be prepared to move locations. Mobility is the number one reason why we have such high unemployment rates… people are unable (or unwilling) to move to locations that are hiring.

If you’ve accepted the fact that you are going to have to move cities to get the best opportunities, then make sure you edit your LinkedIn profile to reflect the new city… yes, even before you’ve moved there.

Let’s say you live in Utah, but want to move to Dallas because there is more telecom hiring. If your profile says Dallas (the new location), employers from Dallas will see your profile when they conduct searches. If you keep a Utah address, and you know Utah isn’t hiring for telecom, kiss your chances of getting discovered goodbye.

Tip: If you don’t have an address yet in the new location, just enter a zip code.

3. Add Recruiters To Your LinkedIn Network Strategically

I’m all for eating one gourmet cookie rather than a bag of bad cookies for the same price. However, when it comes to your network, size matters.

In particular, having lots of recruiters who specialize in your new career in the location you want to work in matters more than almost any other factor. And believe me, most recruiters are on LinkedIn.

Most recruiting firms specialize in a job function or industry. They are paid by companies in that industry to find talent. Therefore, guess who’s in their LinkedIn network… the people you also want to be in touch with.

Furthermore, recruiters want you in their network, since they might want to pitch you for a position. So, when you add a recruiter whom you’ve never even met before, they’re very likely to accept your invite.

Complete Your Transition

For more unconventional advice on taking your career to the next level, join me on June 19th at 1:00 PM Eastern Time for my live webinar, “3 Secrets to Getting Hired with LinkedIn.” I’ll be taking your questions live and revealing some of the most powerful online tools you won’t want to miss.

This is a FREE training session packed with actionable, step-by-step information so you can get hired fast! One lucky attendee will receive a professionally written LinkedIn profile at the end of the session. You must be there live to win!

Some of what you will learn includes:

Also, when you sign up, you will receive a FREE Linkedin Profile Summary Writing Tool. Register now – spaces are limited!

SIGN UP NOW ►

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Short answer?

Yes.

Cautious answer?

Maybe.

The long answer is a bit more nuanced than a simple yes, no, or maybe.

I was hired at my last two positions from job referrals on Twitter, both tweets from people I had never met. Why would someone take a chance on me?

Personal Branding Delivers An Evolving Resume

If you’re using social media tools correctly (and at this point there are good & bad or right & wrong ways to use these tools), you’re developing relationships constantly. You no longer network because you have to when you need a job, you network all year long to increase the size and quality of your network for anything you may need.

This is the basis of crowd sourcing when you need something like a restaurant recommendation, thoughts on a new product, or if there are open jobs available. The idea of referring a person from social media interaction isn’t unusual because there have likely been quality conversations on a variety of platforms with said person.

At the end of the day, you wouldn’t refer a person that didn’t represent you or you yourself wouldn’t want to work with.

Assessing a candidate’s personal brand on social networks is easy. If the candidate has done a good job, at the minimum their picture is consistent on sites like LinkedIn and Twitter, they’ve hidden Facebook from search results to avoid any embarrassing stories/photos, and they’ve gone over their first two pages of Google search results for links that show them in the most positive light. They might also show up in various online communities like Reddit or Brazen Careerist, or guest blog posts to demonstrate their expertise in an area.

Again, if the person is actively participating in this activity, these actions speak for themselves as a live & interactive resume.

Why Refer Unknowns?

Many companies offer applicant referral bonuses to employees because odds are a friend of an employee is going to be a good hire. That person has already been vetted and vouched for, and the company didn’t have to do any advertising to get their attention. When there’s monetary incentive for the employee, the employee will actively keep open positions in mind and let job searchers they know personally, what’s available.

As I work for a company that is growing at a quick pace, I’ve referred quite a few people recently. It’s the perfect way to get a little extra cash and surround yourself with a team of people you know are going to knock it out of the park. Of the few referrals I’ve submitted, two were actually hired. I had met one at various networking events and I had never met the other. They are both working out great.

In order to refer someone and feel morally OK in doing so, a bit of research is required. The personal branding mentioned above goes a long way, but the ongoing conversations you have on these social networks is the icing on the cake. You know these people, what they’re after, what they want, and where they’re coming from because you see them everywhere as subject experts. They’re desirable candidates.

If there are still trepidations, feel free to schedule a Skype call and do your own mini interview before giving them the referral link. No sense in putting your seal of approval on someone that doesn’t deserve it, and might not get you that referral bonus, or brownie points for future referrals. Feel confident that you’re suggesting the best person for the job, otherwise it’ll come back to haunt you.

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Change is necessary if you’re planning to adopt winning habits, particularly those that seem “foreign” to you or take you out of your “comfort zone.”  Winners, high achievers, and super-star performers all have adopted winning habits – habits that the average performer simply avoids, shuns, or dismisses.

Choose one thing you want to change, maybe it’s a habit you want to adopt or an old habit you want to drop, and try this:

• Get clarity on exactly what you want to do and write it down, preferably somewhere it will remain visible to you (in your line of sight).
• Write down the reasons you want to adopt or change the habit. Why is it important to you? How will it affect your work life, personal life, relationships, and peace of mind?
• Who do you know who is currently a role model for the habit you’re trying to change or adopt? Look around, find someone, or seek someone out. Ask them how they do it, why they do it, and how they navigate through the things that challenge the habit.
• Look for another existing good habit that you have that you can piggy back the new habit off of. Connect them together, link them to each other.
• Tell others what you’re trying to do. Ask for their support, and give them permission to give you feedback if they observe you getting off track from your new habit. Encourage them to observe, watch, and comment.  Tell them you’ll do the same for them if they have something they’re trying to change.
• Start ASAP. Begin today or first thing tomorrow morning. Get the momentum going as soon as possible.
• Start with a “30-day” trial period. Simply commit to the habit for 30 days and keep score – note it on your calendar or in your journal. Thirty days, no excuses. All of us can do just about anything for 30 days.
• Stop and reflect after 30 days. Note the benefits you’ve realized from adopting the new habit – write them down, soak them in.
• Then, keep going; why stop now?

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The “Negatives”

Here are some “negatives” many people see:

1. No Job Stability/Security

One of the biggest changes since your parents set out on their career path is a change in job stability and security. When your parents joined the world of work, it was expected that you would choose a career path and stay in it for life. You may also stay with your first employer for your entire career. Frequently, your career path was mapped out fairly clearly from day one, if you worked hard and proved yourself.

This is no longer the case. You are at a greater risk of getting laid off, as companies change and develop much more rapidly than in the past, and focus heavily on high levels of efficiency. Organizations are considerably flatter, with less opportunity for promotion, and a less clear route of progress to the top. This may at first glance appear to be a negative, but actually, it affords you more opportunities to move around and find what works for you in the workplace.

2. Less Loyalty

No employer expects you to stay with them for life, and you certainly don’t plan to either. You will likely have a number of different employers over the course of your career, where your parents may have had just one or two. While this may seem risky, it is also considerably more fun. You will have more variety in your career than your parents could ever have hoped for.

3. More Competition

Education levels have changed. This means there’s a change in your career opportunities and prospects. Back in your parents’ day, fewer people went to university to get a degree. These days, it is almost an expectation at 18 years old, you will go to university. Having a degree no longer distinguishes you the way it did in the past. You have a degree, but it doesn’t mean as much as it used to for employers. You might find you need to study for a Masters or other higher level qualification just to gain entry to your field. Overall, competition is greater. On the plus side, education is much more accessible, to allow you to compete effectively.

The Positives

Here are some positives to think about:

1. Greater Opportunities

You have a lot more opportunities open to you than your parents had. Technological advances have led to the world becoming more accessible. Two changes in particular are relevant. One is the development of the Internet. The other is the advances in air transportation that have taken place.

In the case of the Internet, you are able to work from anywhere. You could work for an employer in a full time position from home. Telecommuting is becoming ever more popular. You may never even meet your colleagues in person. The Internet also provides new types of jobs: Online Marketer, Social Marketing Manager, and more.

Advances in air transportation have made travel to other parts of the world significantly cheaper since your parents started out in their careers. This brings a couple of changes in terms of your career. One, you may end up being sent overseas, or to different parts of the country for work, because it is easier and cheaper for your employer to do so than in the past.

The second change is you can work anywhere you can find a job. In your parents’ day, it would have been much harder to fly to China, Australia, India, or Argentina to find a job. These days, you can find all of the visa information you need online for a country that interests you, find a job online, then get on a flight and go. Your career does not have to be limited to your home country in the way it may have been in the past.

2. Different Types Of Jobs Available

One of the big changes from your parents’ careers is you have a far greater range of jobs open to choose from. When your parents began working, there were, for example, very few jobs available in computers and a lot less in the area of customer service. Your career can take a path your parents could not even have imagined.

3. Greater Variety Of Ways Of Working

These days you have the opportunity to freelance much more easily than your parents could have. The growth of the Internet, and to some degree, more social acceptance of freelancing, allows you to find work more easily and do it from home without ever meeting clients. This allows you develop your own career completely in your own way, without having an employer to worry about.

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How To Dress At Work

If your job happens to be a summer camp or something in which you will likely be involved in a great deal of outdoor activity, then dressing more casual may be completely appropriate. However, if you’re working in an office or any official field of work, it’s extremely important that your clothing express that you take your job seriously. Dressing for the part could include dress clothes and fine leather accessories to really make an impact.

It’s very important that you recognize who will be noticing the way you dress for work. One person who will instantly notice how you dress is your employer. If you go to work and you’re dressed like a homeless person, then your boss could very easily find reason to fire you so that you don’t reflect a bad image of the company which you’re representing.

Your co-workers will also notice how you dress. If you dress very official for work and your co-workers don’t, you will look better. However, if you think it doesn’t matter how you dress and you don’t dress appropriately for the job, your co-workers will look more official than you and it might cost you your job.

Another great way to show off your professionalism in your general appearance at work is by having high-quality office accessories such as letter trays, pencil cups, and desk pads. Having not only professional clothes but professional accessories will give you an extra boost in the workplace.

Another group that will notice the way you dress is your customers. You have to be extremely careful that your appearance meets the expectations of your customers or clients, not only for your benefit but for the company’s benefit as well. If your wardrobe reflects badly on the company you work for, it’s very likely that you will be reported and it could result in the loss of your job.

It’s crucial to remember that when you work for a company, you become the face of that company. How people see you is how they will see the company for which you stand. This is a very large responsibility and it must not be taken lightly. When you’re getting ready for the day it’s vital that you remember that you’re representing your company, and dress in such a way that would make your boss proud to call you an employee. I guarantee you that there is great satisfaction and reward in doing so.

Therefore, you should work hard to dress appropriately for work, in order to better promote yourself as a hard worker who takes their job seriously. Having confidence in yourself and pride in your job are two of the simplest things you can do to excel yourself and your career. Something as simple as shining your shoes and wearing a nice shirt could earn you a promotion some day. Dress for success and you will reap the benefits.

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Think again.

Conducting a job search using the Internet has definitely transformed how job seekers contact hiring companies. The availability of copying and pasting a text version resume into a form at a company’s website (or uploading a Word file) has laid the foundation for an easier and more convenient job search process.

No longer does a job seeker need to spend hours with the traditional method of printing and mailing his resume to countless recipients.

With the Internet’s convenience, a breeding ground for scam artists continues to grow each year as well.

Identity thefts increased to an overwhelming 10 million cases in 2008 and another 11 million more for 2009. Many of these cases are the result of phishing — so not surprisingly, the employment industry is under attack as well. The FTC reports approximately 12% of total fraud involves employment fraud.

Phishing is an attempt to extract personal information through what appears to be authentic e-mails. If you are job searching, an e-mail from a seemingly interested recruiter, for example, may not raise a red flag with you. You may think the contact person and company listed are legitimate. Yet, looks can be deceiving. Knowing what to look for and how to spot fraud (or potential for abuse) can be the best deterrent to ensuring you have a safe experience, while conducting your job search.

Be Leery Of Submission Invitations

Scammers and spammers follow much the same patterns. Mass e-mails are sent to an enormous list of recipients. Not everyone on the “hit list” is searching for a new job; however, only a small number of people need to be convinced or tricked into believing the e-mail is authentic in order for the scam to be deemed successful. Receiving an e-mail from a recruiter who states, “We saw your resume on the Internet, and we find your skill set to be perfect for one of our clients. Please complete our online application through the below link.”

Should this happen to you, ponder a series of questions:

• Did you send your resume to this recruiter?
• If not, how did the company learn about you (legitimate e-mails should tell you)? Just mentioning, “Saw your resume on the Internet,” is vague.
• Upon further examination, do the company and the company rep appear reputable?

Visit the company’s website (caution: type the web address into your browser, avoid clicking the link in the e-mail). If you’re still unable to determine the validity of the request, call the company. Verify everything; sender’s name, e-mail address, and so on. Still avoid clicking the link in the e-mail… it’s just a good habit to start! Always proceed with suspicion when you receive any cold-contact e-mail from someone.

Avoid Responding To Requests For Personal Information

Let’s say you receive an e-mail from what appears to be a well-known job bank. The e-mail states your account needs your contact and payment information to be updated in order for service renewal. You click on the link and you’re taken to a page that looks, feels, and “smells” right. You then proceed by submitting the requested information. The link appeared safe, but you were taken to a site designed to defraud you.

Make Sure The Webpage Is Encrypted

When using a paid resume submission service, or any other service for that matter, ensure the private information you provide is encrypted upon hitting submit. Encryption, in short, ensures the private information you submit online is kept safe.

When at your browser, you can recognize an encrypted form when the root URL starts with “https:” instead of “http:” or you see the padlock present in the bottom right corner of your screen. Purchasing from companies having added security measures in place can ensure your private information avoids the hands of ill-willed people. Learn more about encryption by reading Jeff Tyson’s article titled, “How Encryption Works,” at www.howstuffworks.com.

Read And Understand The Privacy Policy Of Sites You Patron

The Better Business Bureau possesses a strict policy for members who do business online. A privacy statement for example must be displayed on member’s website, no exceptions. High business practices are a necessity for maintaining the trust of online buyers; and the BBB understands the critical importance of trust among consumers.

A privacy statement outlines what type of customer information is collected and how it’s used. Information transferred or sold could be basic, like name and e-mail address, or far more in-depth like name, address, social security number, and phone number. No matter how basic or detailed the information, the company must have the logistics spelled out in their privacy policy, so you can make the decision whether to patron the site in the first place.

Tell… Because So Few Others Do

Reports show a staggering 80% of online fraud goes unreported. If the proper authorities aren’t aware of the magnitude of fraud that actually exists on the Internet, then getting the much-needed funds to battle the problem will take more time.

The Internet Fraud Complaint Center has an online complaint feature for individuals to report phishing attacks. The IFCC report process requires basic information, including information on the perpetrator and type of fraud.

For phishing schemes, forward the fraudulent e-mail to the legitimate company in addition to filing a formal complaint with IFCC. Phishing is smearing the good names of countless companies, and notifying the company about the scam can also help the fight. Bringing affected companies on board early will provide a multi-prong approach to this epidemic.

The lesson job seekers should learn is to avoid giving your information out freely. Whether you’re at the end of a phishing attack or the job application requires more information than you’re willing to provide, proceed with caution. Much like you’ll analyze job opportunities; intensely examine each person who receives your personal information.

With safe online practices, you’ll get the best return from your job search efforts — instead of spending hours filing a police report and calling credit bureaus and credit card companies.

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In fact, from recent grads to the almost-retired, all job seekers go through a similar six-step emotional cycle:

1. Total denial of the importance of social media. Then…
2. An acceptance that social is somewhat useful. Then…
3. Realization of the complete and utter adoption of social by hiring professionals today, and a fear that they are missing out. Then…
4. Frustration at the total lack of instruction on what to do about it. Then…
5. Anger that their non-strategic and inconsistent use of social is not producing any of the promised results. And, finally…
6. Determination to figure out social media and seek expert advice.

My father is 70+ years old. He was the one who initiated my interest in social media. Meanwhile, I’ve spoken with hundreds of recent grads, and entire audiences have expressed fear and trepidation around social media.

Here are some of the struggles each generation must face when using social media in their job search.

Gen Y Issues With Social Media

This generation may be tech-savvy, but they aren’t born social media experts either. From early on, they’ve texted and Facebooked their way through life. And, in many ways, they are way more aware of the real-life consequences of online behavior. After all, what they said on Facebook might get them beaten up or ridiculed at school the next day.

And, because their use of technology has been for play, by the time they face college graduation, they fear what those past rumpus messages might do to their employability.

Gen Yers must focus on two key areas when adopting social media:

1. Clean Up Any “Digital Dirt”

You had your fun in high-school. Now it’s time to brush off the dirt, and put on some nice clothes. Revisit those privacy policies, and delete what you can.

2. Adopt LinkedIn

Consequences of your online behavior will now have financial consequences, not just social ones. Learn what a good LinkedIn profile requires.

Gen X Issues With Social Media

We didn’t get e-mail until our senior year at college or shortly after. When we grew up, we were still mailing our thank you notes to grandma, and hoping we didn’t die in nuclear holocaust.

I needed prodding from an ex-girlfriend to even look at Facebook because I had already invested my time in Friendster and didn’t want to fill out another dang profile.

Those of us lucky enough to have signed up for the right social networks label ourselves “early adopters” and glean over the 100 other social networks that failed miserably. We approach new technologies with small amounts of weariness. “Oh, another one.” But often, our curiosity gets the better of us and we fill out a new profile.

Gen Xers must focus on these areas when adopting social media:

1. Leverage The Proven Networks

Yes, you may have spent countless hours filling out profiles on networks that don’t exist any more, but LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter are no joke. These networks have proven themselves to be the largest and highest leverage tools to advancing your career. Take your time and write your profiles with your brand in mind.

2. Understand Facebook Privacy

Bear in mind Facebook will probably usurp LinkedIn as a professional network in the next two to three years (my opinion), so don’t wait to understand your privacy settings. Force yourself to spend a half-hour in Facebook’s privacy area. It will pay off.

3. Manage Your Public Message

Remember you are publishers when you use social media. The consequences of getting off topic or off brand in your public facing networks could be disastrous. Many Gen Xers were fired for careless Facebook and Twitter posts. Focus on staying on message.

Baby Boomer Issues With Social Media

Since Boomers often look at the younger generations and assume social media is easy for them, they set themselves up for failure. “Oh, those kids text and play X-box. This stuff is easy for them. But I’m older and don’t get technology.”

And, with this thought, every learning curve becomes ten times more frustrating. This is what psychologists call a false schema, also known as a self-fulfilling prophesy.

The truth is, every generation has their hurdles when using social media,and there are many advantages to being a Boomer in the social media world.

First, you are uniquely qualified to recognize the impact social media has had in the world of hiring. You have seen the rise of many new technologies and you know the power they have in transforming our world. You saw color television emerge, you saw FM change from talk to music, and you saw computers shrink from the size of buildings to the size of fists.

Second, you are less likely to screw up with social media than other generations. You approach technologies cautiously because you’ve had computers that would break if you pushed the wrong button.

These are some areas of focus for baby boomers when using social media to find work:

1. Use Online Training And Help

Don’t be overly cautious, sometimes you need to just bite the bullet, and fill out that Twitter profile, even though you don’t know if you are going to screw it up. Job-Hunt has several articles on using social media for job search you can read.  And, plenty of other training and Youtube videos will help you through it.

2. Be Yourself (Within Reason)

Don’t be afraid to show a little more personality online then what you are used to. Your job search paradigm is very formal. All of your resumes are written in third person, and you have been trained to be “professional.” Know that, these days, fit and personality may outweigh capability. Let your hair down a little bit when using social media. For you, this will probably feel uncomfortable, but will be seen as refreshing.

3. Leverage Your Knowledge And Experience

You understand strategy. You have 20+ years of professional experience and know how to take your time, watch, and make important decisions. Apply some of that strategic thinking to your social media presence. Know who you are targeting in your job search, and then approach them with a plan to add value. You know how to do this!

Bottom Line

Overall, each generation must face their own unique hurdles when adopting social media. So never fall into the trap of thinking “those other people have an advantage over me.” With social media, the playing field is level, and those millions of Americans winning their jobs with it are the ones willing to go through the stages of adoption and take their time to educate themselves on something new.

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What Is Public Service Law?

While most lawyers work with individuals and companies for billable hours, a public service lawyer handles cases that are brought by an individual or a group for the benefit of the public or the community as a whole. Some of the public issues these lawyers often cover include voting issues, women’s rights, civil rights, domestic violence, environmental issues, and even gun control issues. If you are passionate in one of these areas, public service law may be the perfect option for you.

Who Should Consider Public Service Law?

The area of public service law is a highly specialized area that requires someone who is passionate about the topics at hand to be successful. Not only should you be a good lawyer, you must also know a lot about the public issues with which you will work. The issues a public service lawyer cover can vary. Lawyers can cover a niche area or very broad ones. Generally, public service lawyers have a passion for public service, are patient, self-motivated, and flexible.

In addition to having a passion for this area of law and the associated issues, it is critical to be able to research well, create a compelling argument and argue your points effectively, especially in the face of adversity.

What Qualifications Do You Need?

Anyone who is interested in entering the area of public service law must have a law degree from an accredited law school. For entrance into a law school, you need a high school diploma, bachelor’s degree and an appropriate score on the Law School Aptitude Test. After graduation, you must pass your state’s bar to be able to practice in the area of public service law. Many attorneys also obtain a Masters of Public Administration to help them better understand the inner-workings of public sector organizations and gain managerial and finance skills needed to lead an organization.

What Are Your Career Options?

Before you enter into any program to start a new career, it is essential to learn what the career outlook may be. The public service law sector includes jobs in: federal government offices, public defenders, labor unions, private foundations, and nonprofit groups. As a lawyer in public service, you may offer services such as appellate cases, class action suits, lobbying, training, legal writing, community outreach, and individual cases.

The area of public service law is an extensive specialty area of law that often requires a strong passion for the topics you will tackle. When you are thinking about working as a lawyer for your career, consider the career options available to you in the public service field to help you make the right choice.

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It’s different for every person—and every position. But one thing about this question is the same… it starts out like this: “Do you have experience doing… (insert whatever responsibility, duty, etc. the employer is looking to find in someone)?”

Employers want to know you have the experience and the ability to perform the essential functions of the job. And you can usually tell where their biggest “hurts” are by the questions they ask during the interview. If they need someone with special expertise or experience in a given area, they’re going to make sure they ask you about that experience.

So, how do you answer this all-important interview question in the best way possible?

Tell Them About A Time When…

The first way you can respond to the “experience question” is to use an example from your past experience about a time when you did XYZ—and of course… the successful turnout that resulted. This is the best-case scenario when answering the ‘experience question’. But what do you do if you don’t have the experience they’re asking about? Then how do you answer?

Tell Them You’re Confident

Just because you’ve never done something doesn’t mean you can’t do it. And it surely doesn’t mean you can’t excel at it. If you’re asked a question about prior experience regarding something you’ve never done, the best way to answer isn’t to say “No, I’ve never done that.” Or, “No, I don’t have experience in that area.” The best way to handle the question is to say something along these lines: “While I have not had any direct experience in XYZ, I am a fast learner, and I am confident that I could (do, manage, direct, handle, etc.) XYZ successfully and exceed your expectations.”

And an effective way to enhance your previous confident response would be to share with the hiring manager about a time when you did do something very similar—or something that could in some way relate to the experience they are asking you about.

However, no matter how you approach the question, be sure to emphasize that you’re confident you can do whatever it is they’re asking you about.

It makes a potential employer feel better to know that you’re confident in your abilities and talents—and it’s also a far better alternative than just telling them, “No, I don’t know how to do that,” and possibly excluding yourself from consideration. As I mentioned earlier, just because you haven’t done something previously doesn’t mean you can’t do it… or never will be able to… And who knows? With time, you may even do it very well!

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Read The Job Posting Carefully

The first step in ensuring you add skills to your resume that align with those required by a specific position is to read the job posting carefully. Doing so not only shows you exactly what’s required of the job but it also helps you to examine your own skills that match.

For instance, if a company mentions in its job posting that it is looking for an administrative assistant with strong organizational skills and experience setting up meetings for company executives, you know you need a certain take-charge attitude to ensure the office is organized.

Now, you can include your own organizational skills—and even show proof that you’ve interacted with top executives in the past.

Think From The Hiring Manager’s Perspective

Thinking from the perspective of a hiring manager is not always easy to do, but it is possible—and necessary if you want to add the right information to your resume.

To start, read the job posting—and even take a few moments to learn more about the company itself through its website or other sources. Then, think about what you would hope to see on someone’s resume if they set it on your desk.

Would you expect to receive resumes from people who only have experience as models or background dancers? No, you would want to see how their experience relates to the position they’re applying for.

Using this perspective while writing can help you to create a resume you feel will get you hired.

Show You Can Learn New Skills

It’s important to showcase your ability to learn new skills by highlighting previous training, along with a willingness to take on new projects.

One way to do this is by listing any training courses you’ve taken, certifications you’ve received, programs you’re proficient in, and any other details that prove your ability to hit the ground running.

Some people who have acquired their dream jobs did not have all of the experience needed to claim the position—but they did submit a resume that helped them score an interview where they could then prove that they were right for the job.

Don’t let a lack of skills stop you either. Take the steps necessary to make your skills a perfect match for the job you deserve.

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Unfortunately, these mundane, dry, and redundant phrases can make it difficult for you to maximize the power of LinkedIn in a job search. It’s also challenging for recruiters and employers to see past these overused terms when looking for your value proposition!

Phrases To Delete From Your LinkedIn Profile

However, with a little ingenuity, you can pull the lackluster phrases out of your profile and replace them with powerful writing that conveys your personal style and energy. Here are some of the worst offenders lurking among LinkedIn profiles, along with suggestions for alternative wording:

1. Accomplished Professional

If this is really true, then show (don’t tell!) your readers about it. This phrase is likely to prompt more annoyance from employers than appreciation.

Instead, consider using a sentence or phrase that speaks specifically to your achievements, such as, “Sales rep honored for closing 147% of quota during 2009 and 2010,” or, “IT Director heading multimillion-dollar outsourcing contracts at major banks.”

In addition, you can add accomplishment data (right in the Summary) that cuts to the heart of what you do and why you’re good at it, with sentences like, “Sales manager honored for coaching 3 Top Producers,” or, “Operations manager promoted for increasing production line efficiency.”

2. Results-Driven

Most companies plan on hiring someone who fits this description, and they weed out anyone who doesn’t perform to their expectations. It’s almost to your detriment to point this out in your profile.

You might try adding information that actually PROVES your drive for results, with mention of how you’ve earned a promotion in just six months, or the ways in which your performance has outpaced that of your peers.

3. Exceptional Communicator

The trouble with this phrase is it’s not only tough to prove, but that the person using it often misspells one or more words (really).

Since your LinkedIn profile gives you plenty of opportunity to demonstrate your writing skills, you’ll have the opportunity to convey complex concepts or perhaps distill a major project into a short description… both of which would speak louder about your communications skills than this phrase ever will.

4. Proven Success

Well, employers would hope so. After all, why mention your success unless you have some proof to back it up?

Here’s where you’re better off noting some metrics, as in, “Exceeded quota for 7 out of past 8 years,” “Brought company to 87% market share,” or, “Met 100% of project budget constraints despite limited resources.”

These achievements can help online readers understand the scope of your work and the reasons behind your career progression.

5. Experienced

Ahem… of COURSE you are.

Even worse, “Successful experience,” is so redundant you’re wasting space and LinkedIn keyword optimization by even thinking of these phrases.

One way to replace this word is to simply specify the number of years you’ve worked in the industry.

However, be careful here, “15 years of experience in sales,” doesn’t quite have the same ring as, “Generated 23% average over-quota revenue throughout progressively challenging sales roles.”

6. Responsible For

Just like a resume, there is no reason to clutter the landscape of your profile with a phrase that is largely assumed.

Rather than use this phrase, you can just skip to the relevant facts, “Managed $500K budget,” “Supervised staff of 10,” and save everyone’s time.

7. Microsoft Word skills

There’s no advantage to listing basic skills that nearly all candidates possess. Unless you are seeking an entry-level role requiring clerical duties, employers will be more surprised if you don’t have these skills, than if you take the time to list them.

You’re much better off researching target jobs and noting the skills (keywords) required for the position, then using these terms to show your competency.

To summarize, back up and take a long look at your LinkedIn profile. Are you committing the same mistakes that have been appearing on resumes for years?

If so, it’s time to refresh your approach and provide specific details on the high points of your career—information others can readily relate to (and even use to hire you) from your LinkedIn profile.

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The answer is, “Yes!”

Recruiters and hiring managers read cover letters and cover e-mails for three main reasons:

• To find out information that may not be in your resume or immediately obvious
• To get a fast overview of your most relevant experience
• To find out why you are interested in their company or their opening

The cover letter—or cover e-mail—should not be long: two or three paragraphs with bullets highlighting your most relevant achievements, experience, and skills. You might also let the recruiter or hiring company know what soft skills you bring to the table: teamwork, leadership, a get-it-done attitude, efficiency, organization, a concern for the bottom line. You know your own strengths.

The cover letter is the place where, if necessary, you explain a change in careers or locations, notify potential employers that your search is confidential, respond to a request by the company for references or salary ranges, or share other important information that is not appropriate for the resume.

I believe strongly in cover letters because they are far more personal than the strictly formatted bullet points of a resume. When I talk with you about your career goals and your experience, I ask what any recruiter or hiring manager would ask—and then I put the answers in your cover letter.

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So, I was hardly surprised when a young friend came to me for career advice, and started the conversation by saying, “My job stinks, I’m bored to tears. I just can’t figure out what my passion is.” She spoke as if somewhere, out there, is a single career-related purpose that, if she could but find it, would lead to eternal fulfillment. This was her fifth “it stinks” job in three years, and it was clear she had fallen for the passion myth.

1. If You’re Not Making Enough Money, You’re Not On The Right Path

Reality Bite: Passion does not equate with income.

If you are lucky, you have a passionate interest that feeds your soul and gives lightness to your day. But if you look outside yourself for affirmation or compensation for your passion, you may be in for disappointment. Don’t believe me? Watch the auditions for American Idol or So You Think You Can Dance, and you’ll see thousands of people hoping their talents will make them a star.

For all but a handful, that dream will be crushed. Many of those crushed enthusiasts will be too embarrassed to ever sing or dance again and that, to me, is tragic. If you are passionate about singing, then sing. If you are passionate about dancing, then dance. But do it because you love to sing and dance. Not because you crave the applause.

Nearly every self-help book or website mentions turning your hobby into a career. Stories abound of people who did exactly that and made millions. Less often told, but exponentially more numerous, are the stories of people who tried to turn their hobbies into an income stream and things didn’t work out the way they expected.

The woodworker who stopped getting any joy out of his art because all of his commissions were boring pieces for clients with no imagination. The cooking enthusiast who never got to do any cooking because they spent 95% of their time dealing with the mundane business details involved in running a restaurant.

More practical advice would be to “Find a Job that Pays Reasonably Well So You Can Afford to Follow Your Passions Outside of Work” – but that wouldn’t be a very sexy book title.

2. “Following Your Passion” Means Doing More Than Mindless Work

Reality Bite: All work has meaning – even the boring stuff.

Stop approaching passion as if it were something you can “find,” like the perfect lifestyle accessory, or something you “do,” like saving the world. Start thinking of passion as a way of being a quality you can and must cultivate.

When it comes to our work, we choose to be passionate. Or not. We choose to be actively engaged. Or not. We choose to be conscientious. Or not. We choose to treat customers and colleagues with courtesy and consideration. Or not. We choose to give more than is expected. Or not. We choose to see ourselves as part of the big picture. Or not.

People who can manage to be engaged, conscientious, courteous, considerate, giving and enthusiastic even while slinging hash browns or counting widgets have passion. And that passion gets noticed. And that notice results in new opportunities to do something more challenging and interesting. You are only a mindless worker ant if that is how you choose to see yourself.

Does That Mean I Shouldn’t Leave My Horrible Job?!

Of course not. But take the time to honestly figure out what makes the job horrible. If the problem is your attitude, your expectations, your need for applause, your passion myths, then chances are good the next job you find isn’t going to be any less horrible than this one, and you are not going to be one inch closer to finding your passion.

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1. Showcase Your Brand Or Theme

The Objective that says, “Here is what I want” is dead and replaced with a simple headline like SENIOR PROJECT MANAGER. This must be followed by a well-written description of what you do best (brand), which is designed to differentiate you from the many other candidates.

Example: Corporate Troubleshooter regularly assigned to the most challenging initiatives.

This creates a theme for the rest of the resume so your opening essentially says, “Here is what I am best at,” and the rest of the resume says, “Here is proof that I am good,” by showcasing the results you have achieved.

2. Tight Writing

Today’s resumes must be tightly written and very succinct. Fluff statements are out and overused phrases like visionary and dynamic are no longer the norm. Your sentences should be to the point and factual.

Example: Sales Executive charged to drive new business and penetrate existing accounts throughout the New York metropolitan area.

Your resume really doesn’t need to go into all the job duties you performed. So, using the sales resume example above, you would not put in such things as called on prospects throughout the territory, attended trade shows, and made presentations. These are the normal tasks that sales professionals do on a regular basis and, certainly, the employer understands that.

3. Use The Harvard Format

You should also use what’s called the Harvard format. In this format, your roles and responsibilities are in paragraph form and your achievements are in bulleted form. This makes it easy for an employer to quickly identify them.

Also note that, in this day and age, the notion of a one-page resume is a myth and what is most important is that the resume has a compelling story and is easy to read. Remember that your resume is an advertisement for your skills and is not necessarily a legal document designed to indicate everything you’ve ever done. Your purpose in the resume is simply to whet their appetite and get them to want to call you for an interview.

4. Support Your Theme With Strong Accomplishment Statements

You’ve established a theme and now you have to prove it by showcasing your accomplishments. Make sure your accomplishments are directly relevant to the position you’re seeking and supports your theme or brand. So, highlighting the fact that you created a database that streamlined the process of ordering office supplies is not something that should go on your resume if you are looking for a sales role.

As much as possible try to quantify your accomplishments and indicate your performance against goals. In our sales example, stating you increased revenues $2 million year-over-year is very nice, but it really doesn’t describe your accomplishments. Saying you delivered 135% of quota representing a $2 million increase in year-over-year revenues is a much stronger statement.

5. Include LinkedIn

Recent studies indicate that more than 85% of employers and virtually all recruiters will look for you on LinkedIn before calling you. So, make sure you have your LinkedIn ID on your resume and your profile is supportive of your overall theme.

Note: if your LinkedIn ID has /pub/ in it with a host of numbers at the end, then you have a temporary ID and you should secure a more appropriate ID by editing your LinkedIn profile and skipping down to the PUBLIC PROFILE edit button in LinkedIn. This is very easy to do and you should try to secure your name.

Follow these rules and you will see a marked difference in the way you resume produces results.

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Even if you are Internet savvy, you can easily become overwhelmed by the growing maze of job search boards, company databases, and online recruiting networks unless you have a solid job search strategy plan. It is essential to understand while it is critical to engage in online job search activities, it should only be a portion—not the entire component—of your job search strategy plan.

There are several job search strategies you can engage in right now to re-brand yourself, revive your network and personal contacts, and re-position yourself for top-paying career opportunities.

1. Identify Your Target Position

Before burying yourself in a frenzy of resume-writing and cover letter activities, determine what your ideal job target is. Do you want to stay in the same field, are you using this opportunity to pursue your dream job or are you only interested in lateral movement until retirement. Maximize resources like www.hoovers.com, www.wetfeet.com, and www.vault.com to find critical “insider” information on companies in your target industries.

2. Define And Promote Your Personal Brand

Your job search is not worth the effort unless you have clearly identified your personal brand and unique value proposition for potential employers. You must be able to articulate why a company should hire you and highlight the consistent theme of achievements from your overall career. Are you the cost savings guru, have you been repeatedly called upon to lead high-profile initiatives or can you be classified as the turnaround agent?

A manufacturing executive’s personal brand could be:

SENIOR MANUFACTURING EXECUTIVE

Engaging cutting-edge technologies to advance corporate-wide initiatives that expedite manufacturing processes and achieve aggressive revenue growth, cost-cutting objectives, and profitability margins.

3. Develop An Achievement-Focused Executive Resume

Your executive should be a strategic career marketing document not a career obituary. Focus on relevant content supported by career-defining “WOW” achievements throughout the resume. Use the Situation-Task-Action-Results formula for development achievement statements for your resume with the goal of having at least five achievements for each position listed on the resume. For example:

Situation: As Chief Financial Officer – synthesize finance and operations departments following the recent merger of two manufacturing companies.

Tasks: Eliminate duplication of resources, increase operational efficiency, and boost work productivity and results.

Action: Developed short-term strategy and execution plan by developing team with key representatives for technology, finance, and operations divisions.

Results: Reduced company’s overhead costs by $5 million in 6 months and improved efficiency 25%.

Achievement statement for resume: Shrunk annual overhead costs by $5 million in six months by assembling core operations team that further eliminated duplication of resources and increased operational efficiency by 25%.

4. Compile An ROI-Based, Brand-Focused Portfolio

In order to generate success in today’s job market, you have to go beyond a standard executive resume. Invest in an entire portfolio of career marketing documents including a networking resume, career biography, accomplishment summary, and cover letters for both employers and recruiters. The networking resume works well for quick introductions to executive recruiters and personal contacts and the leadership profile is a powerful leave-behind document for interviews.

5. Have A Memorable 30-Second Commercial

Once you get to the networking phase of your job search, you need to display confidence and value in your verbal presentation. Build upon your personal brand to create a unique, 30-second commercial that speaks volumes about what you can bring to the table. For example:

“Hi, my name is Carl Brown. As an experienced Manufacturing Executive, I have enjoyed a progressive career with top companies like ABC Plastics, Newform Manufacturing, and TechNec Corporation. With a reputation for engaging cutting-edge technologies that helped global manufacturing companies achieve aggressive revenue growth and improve operating cost objectives, I am seeking new executive opportunities at global companies that would benefit from my strengths in P&L management, product innovation and turnaround operations.”

6. Actively Build And Expand Your Networks

Join professional and industry-related associations, alumni groups, and Chamber of Commerce committees. Identify key industry leaders you want to meet, schedule informational meetings/interviews, and start building your own team of alliances.

Don’t forget to use online social networks like LinkedIn, E-cademy, Zoominfo, Ziggs and Facebook to connect with former associates and friends; also search for industry experts and top people in your target companies.

7. Limit Online Job Search To Niche Boards And Career Specialty Sites

Huge commercial career sites have over hundreds of thousands of candidates in their database and are usually geared for entry-level to mid-management positions. To avoid feeling discouraged and frustrated, subscribe to specialized online job boards that focus on a particular occupation, industry, job function or type of job seeker like CEO, Sales Executives, or MBAs.

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As I explained, my favorite question is, “In what direction would you run if there was a fire at work?”

Some people respond that they would leave the building in accordance with company policy. I’ll give them a pass; they are following the book.

But what if there is no policy? Now, it’s a question of character.

Candidate Number One replies, “I’d immediately leave the building. I’d get out of the way of the fire fighters. I’d wait outside for instructions.”

Candidate Number Two replies, “I’d head towards the fire. I would want to help anyone who needs assistance and make certain everyone gets out. I’m a team player. I don’t leave my colleagues in the lurch.”

Who would you hire? Neither said anything wrong. There is no wrong answer.

Candidate Number One is getting out of the way. Cynics would say, “He’s sticking his tail between his legs and running for the nearest exist.” I actually disagree. He doesn’t believe he has anything to offer so he’s simply getting out of the way of those who can help. What’s the point in standing around?

Of course, Candidate Number Two is showing leadership. She believes she has something to contribute. Some might say, “She’s just trying to play the ‘hero.’” I disagree here as well. If there is a fire, a fool wouldn’t be “playing” anything.

As far as I am concerned, Candidate Number Two gets the job. Leadership trumps everything else. Here’s what really happened:

I was conducting a search for fundraiser for a school for special needs children. My candidate arrived. The interview began with the principal and director of Business Affairs. Not ten minutes later a teacher came running into the principal’s office. A water pipe had broken and the place was flooding.

My candidate could have done a number of things – He could have told them he realized they had a crisis and wait patiently in the principal’s office. He could have told them he realized they had a crisis and wait patiently in the Reception area. He could have told them he realized they had a crisis and call them to reschedule.

He did none of those things. What did he do? He grabbed his overcoat, wrapped a drenched child in it, and helped. He ran towards the fire!

And for the record, he got a second interview and the job.

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However, if you change your thoughts on achieving it, you will. Mostly because if your thoughts are laser focused on getting it, you will do the right things in order to attain it.

This principle can be applied to many areas of your life. Whether it is getting well, losing weight, quit smoking, competing at peak levels or finding a job, your attitude is crucial to success. Believing you can do something provides the strength and stamina to overcome the obstacles in your path. Positive thinking propels a small engine successfully up a mighty hill and you to landing your dream job.

This principle can be applied to your job search. By changing your thoughts, you will reach your goal.

Notice the attitudes of successful candidates. They are positive and enthusiastic. They keep their heads up high and smile. They believe from the bottom of their being they will get a job. The unsuccessful candidates walk around saying there aren’t any jobs, they will never find anything and other such thoughts.

How to use the Law of Attraction in your job search:

• Think positively. Deep down positively not just on the surface. You can’t just say you are thinking positively.
• Believe in you. Don’t allow others bring you down. You have the power.
• Align what you think and what you do to what you want. It won’t work if your actions and thoughts are contradictory to the goal. If you don’t think you will get it, you won’t do what it takes to get it.
• Know you are going to get a job. Talk about when you get a job rather than if you get a job.
• Write down what your ideal job is. Concentrate on it.
• Imagine doing that job. Use guided imagery to assist in this step.
• Don’t allow yourself to become discouraged. If you do, look for all the positive things in your life, and focus on them.

As with all things, practice makes perfect. If you aren’t used to thinking this way, it will take some getting used to but continue working on it. Career success will be yours if you do.

“You are a living magnet. What you attract into your life is in harmony with your dominant thoughts.” – Brian Tracy

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