One Really Good Tip To End Your Job Search: A Cover Letter That Says Pick Me

March 6, 2013 | Author: Arleen Bradley

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In an earlier post, I talked about the debate over cover letters.  There are some people who say that the cover letter is unnecessary and others say it is necessary.  It’s up to you to decide what you want to do.  If you opt for a cover letter, there are several styles to choose from.  Today I am talking about the two-column or T cover letter.

The advantage of the 2 column cover letter is that it clearly shows your compatibility for the position.  The first and last paragraphs contain the usual introductory and closing information.  The second paragraph is actually a 2 column table with requirements of the positions and your skills and experience that match their requirements.

____________________________________________________________________________________________

Your Requirements                                                                        My Experience

List 4 or 5 of their requirements                                                   Show your experience that meets their needs

where you are a stand out     

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

The 2 column cover letter is a great way for job changers to highlight their experience with the needs of the employer when the job changer’s title doesn’t match that of the job opening.  It focuses on the functional skills and shows what you are capable of doing.  This format also repeats the words used in the job posting which shows the reader that you paid attention to their needs.

The 2 column cover letter is visually inviting to the reading because there is plenty of white space and the reader can clearly see the connections between their requirements and your experience at only a glance.  And the reader is only going to spend a few seconds looking at the cover letter.  Your offerings jump out from the page.

If you want an attention-getting cover letter the 2 column or T cover letter fits the bill.  The table in the middle of the letter is a visual invitation to read at least the information included in the table.  When the reader sees the match between you and their requirements, you have a better chance at getting your résumé read.  And that’s the purpose of the cover letter. 

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One Really Good Tip To End Your Job Search: Create a Cyber Safe Resume

March 4, 2013 | Author: Arleen Bradley

There might be several reasons why you want a cyber-safe resume, but there are two I am considering here.  They are identity theft and protecting your on-line identity.  Identity theft is costly financially and  time-consuming to rectify.  Protecting your online identity will prevent current or former erenjith krishnan data securitymployer from knowing you are looking for a job. 

Why:   

  • Your identity is vulnerable when you have a résumé posted online.  Identity thieves can buy your résumé from sites that sell the information.   It is how some free career sites make their money.  The thieves then contact you posing as potential employers looking for your social security number and bank account information.
  • If you are already employed, you may not want your current employer to know you are looking for another job.
  • Or if you are an unemployed job searcher there may be people you won’t want to know you are unemployed.
  • To overcome the discrimination against the unemployed, some people protect their on line identity.  Doing this gives the impression that they are hiding a job search from a current employer.

 How: 

  • Be selective where you post your résumé.  Read the privacy information and any other disclaimers to know what the policy is for each site.
  • Be careful of sites that offer to broadcast your résumé.  You won’t know where they are posted and what the site’s policies are.
  • Remove the usual contact information including home address and phone number.  Open an email account for your job search on trusted sites like Google, Yahoo!, Hotmail, etc. and use this email as your contact information instead of a work email or your home email that is connected to your internet service provider.   It is best to use a professional email name.
  • Instead of using a business name, use a description of the company such as East Coast based financial institution instead of Yourlocal Bank, City, State.  The same goes for your job title if it is specific to you and/or your company.
  • Don’t include any license numbers, patent numbers, trademarks or any similar information that can be traced to you and/or your company.

By taking the above steps, you are preventing identity thieves and prying eyes from finding out about you.  But you are also making it difficult to recruiters and hiring managers to contact you.  You will have to decide if the tradeoff is worth it.

 

photo credit:  freedigitalphotos.net renjith krishnan

 

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One Really Good Tip To End Your Job Search: Networking—Take Care of Your Network

March 1, 2013 | Author: Arleen Bradley

One of the many tools in your job search tool box is your network.  It is one that needs to be taken care of and not abused.  The phrase, never assume, is a good one to remember when taking care of your network. 

 chain jscreationzsNever assume:

  • You will remember everyone you spoke to or they will remember you.  Regular communication is essential but don’t become a nuisance. 
  • You can use someone’s name without asking permission.  They won’t appreciate it when they hear you have used their name to advance your position.
  • You don’t have to thank you contacts.  You need to show your appreciation for everything they do for you even if what they do for you isn’t successful.
  • This is a one sided relationship.  You must give back to your contacts when you can.
  • You only have to talk about work or the job search.  Bonds are built when you know work and personal information about each other.
  • Everyone wants to help you just because.  People will help people they like, know and trust.  Be someone who is honorable, friendly, and helpful.
  • That you can ask for favors immediately upon meeting someone.  Work on building a relationship that is mutually beneficial.

What you don’t tend to will fail to grow.  With proper care,  your network will develop and become mutually beneficial. 

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11 Ways to Research Companies

February 27, 2013 | Author: Arleen Bradley

digging a hole

While on a job search, you will find it necessary to research a company.  Before you apply for a position, you research a company to see if you are interested in the company.  When you are called for an interview, the information you have gathered will help you prepare to ace the interview.  The more you know about the company, the better you can answer and ask questions that show you are the best candidate for the position.  With a little digging, you will learn all you need to know.

  1. Public libraries:  Fortunately, there are many resources available to you that provide material you need.  Your local library has material on hand that will give you facts and figures about just about any company.
  2. Talk to sellers, distributors, and customers:  If the company produces a product, you can talk to the sellers, distributors and customers about the product.  You can ask about features, competitors, how it sells, and its reputation in the market place. 
  3. Call the company:  Depending on the type of business you can call the company and request information, catalogs, or literature about the company and its products.  How you are treated on the call will give you a clue into the company culture.
  4. Internet search should include LinkedIn, Hoovers, Glass door.com, Google search
  5. Company website:  Read every page of the company’s website.  It will give you information the company wants you to know including press releases. 
  6. Periodicals:  There is a magazine, newsletter or journal for every industry or interest you can think of and provides regular information about the industry and its members.
  7. Talk with employees:  Find current and former employees of the company and ask them questions to get the information you need.
  8. Research the industry:  Look at what their competitors are doing, and their products.  Compare the companies and see where the company stands.
  9. Set up a Google Alert:  Get updated information about the company, its products, employees and competitors by setting up Google Alerts for all the above information.
  10. Social Media:  Follow the company on LI, Twitter, and Facebook for breaking news.  These are only 3 of the many ways you can find out about the company, and if you know of others, follow the company on those, as well.
  11. Hoovers.com and Glassdoor.com:  These sites will give you financial and salary details about the company.  Knowing the financial status of the company is necessary to decide if you want to apply there or not.

 Dig up as much information as you can about the company.  The information is available; all you have to do is find it.  Fortunately, it is easy to find in libraries and in your own home.  It is there waiting for you to find it.

Posted in company website, glassdoor.com, google alert, hoovers.com, internet access, Job Search, job search help, LinkedIn, social media | Leave a Comment

How to Find Companies for Your Target List

February 24, 2013 | Author: Arleen Bradley

wish list pakorn

There are many ways to find a job.  One is a targeted job search.  It is a job search where the you make a list of companies where you are interested in working. You can apply for open positions found on the company’s website.  Or you contact members of your network with to find open positions that are unadvertised.  You should consider both approaches to leave no stone unturned.

The task begins with assembling the target list–the list of companies where you have an interest.  First you choose the geographic area, then the type of organization such as size and industry.  Next comes the research to find the companies that suit your requirements.

One way is to drive around the geographic area looking for office parks and buildings then writing down the names of the companies that are located in the park or building.  Once this has been done, you go home to look up the companies on the Internet to see if they fit the targeted company criteria.  This approach can be time consuming and expensive with the rising cost of gas.

A more efficient search can be done on the internet.  Listed below is a small sample of websites that are beneficial to your search for target companies.

  • www.careerinfonet.org/employerlocator: This site allows you to search for employers by industry, occupation, location and keyword.  The site is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
  • www.google.com: Searches can also be done by industry, occupation, locating and keyword. 
  • www.bizjournals.com:  This site provides articles about companies.  The link will take you to a general site, but you can do a search for a biz journal in many local areas. 
  • www.chamberofcommerce.com:  (should this be underlined as a link?, should this be followed by a colon?)  The site has a listing of local chambers where you can look at members in selected areas.
  • www.rileyguide.com: has links to telephone directories, newspapers, magazines, headline news, unions, associations, and societies.  All informative sites for finding lists of companies.
  • www.statelocalgov.net: State and local governments have websites where you can find local employers.

Now that you have assembled a list of companies where you are interested in working, but further research is needed to know as much as you can in the event of an interview.  Also, knowing as much as you can about the company will help you create a résumé that shows how you can solve the pain the company is looking to solve.

Posted in apply for a job, bizjournals, Employment and Training Administration, google, google alert, Job Search, network, rileyguide.com, target companies, Uncategorized | 1 Comment