MANAGING CAREER & SEARCH STRATEGIES FOR 2013

Searching for a job in today’s market is more competitive than ever before.  So what can you do to stand out in today’s very tough job market? How do you differentiate yourself from a crowded field of qualified candidates? What are the things that constitute a great search strategy ?  How do you stay ahead of the game and manage your career?  Here are the Top 10 steps to managing a career, making the right career move and conducting a passive or aggressive search.

1) Have a stand out resume. Update it annually, whether you think you need it or not. Evaluate market conditions, because they play into resume content and how to position yourself  to be a stand out, competitive candidate. 

2) Develop a comprehensive LinkedIn profile.

3) Join 20-40 LinkedIn groups that are at the appropriate level for your next career move. It varies if your goal is entry level, CEO, Consultant, Startup, Turnaround, or International.  A very targeted search and career move can be developed if you are focused appropriately.

4) It’s critical to know how to use LinkedIn most effectively.  For example, one of the most underutilized features is LinkedIn’s “Company Search" feature on LinkedIn. It should be used as a way to get your foot in the door, build your network for down the road and reach out to folks a step or two above your desired organizational level.

5) Create a target list of companies that focuses on a variety of types and sizes of companies. The big players are obvious, but small and medium companies offer a lot of career growth opportunities. A Fortune 500 might be a great fit, but a smaller company could give you  the chance to expand your skill set, wear a couple of hats, or prepare you for a career inside a big company.

6) Create a target list of contacts that includes managers, employees, recruiters and executives.  Remember, recruiters do not work for you. Their clients are the companies that retain them. Be certain your background fits the profile of the candidate the recruiter is placing.

7) Expand your LinkedIn network. Add 25-50 new people to your network per month. Use the LinkedIn company search function to connect with the decision makers in your target company list. A minimum of 88% of employers are using LinkedIn exclusively to find candidates (even at the executive level).

8) Attend networking events, conferences and trade shows - 2 per quarter at a minimum.

9) Stay in touch with contacts at least 4 times a year.

10) Stay connected to retained search firms. If unemployed, reach out weekly via email and phone.

These are all things that should be done regardless of employment status. The bottom line is, do not wait until you have concerns to have a plan in place. Always be a step ahead of the game.  If you become unemployed it could be a very costly mistake.

Many of the 2013 projections are looking much more positive than in the last 18-24 months. There will be some industries and geographic areas that are better than others, and now is a great time to commit to your career and career planning. Things don’t often happen randomly. Granted, some folks get lucky in their searches. But maybe that job you took was just a job and not the best opportunity that was out there. How will you know you've made the best career move if you have not really created a search strategy

Imagine the possibilities if you have a strategy and a comprehensive approach to your job search. Follow these 5 steps to a successful search and stay ahead of the game.

1.) Create a high-impact, competitive resume.

2.) Match LinkedIn profile and summary with resume content.

3.) Join LinkedIn Groups. Max out your 50 free groups.

4.) Use LinkedIn company search function as a way to connect directly with decision makers in the companies of interest.

5.) Reach out to recruiters that are a match for your background.

Remember, until steps 1-3 are complete you should not engage in a search. This is the most competitive job market in decades. Have a winning and competitive strategy and make 2013 your best year yet!

Sue Sarkesian/Elaine Basham

Co-Founders, The Resume Group

Waiting To Inhale...Your Resume!

That's what an Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) does. It "inhales" your resume, sorts your personal and professional information, and looks for specific keywords that match job descriptions. In this very tough job market, hiring managers and recruiters are inundated with hundreds of resumes for every opening, and they just don't have the resources to read each one and select the most qualified candidates. So, the ATS does it for them. The problem is, the ATS is NOT looking for ways to include you – it's looking for ways to filter you out of the candidate pool. So how do you conquer the ATS challenge to get your resume actually seen – and read?

The obvious answer is to stuff your resume chock-full of as many keywords and as much industry jargon as you possibly can, right? Maybe even stick a giant keyword paragraph on at the end. Good ideas, right? Wrong. Most ATS's will reject resumes that don't have enough keywords, but some ALSO discard resumes that have too may keywords. It's important to have the right balance of the right keywords in your resume.

So what's the answer? First, read job descriptions. Read some more, and then read a few more. Read as many job descriptions as you can for the type of position you want, pick out the right keywords - the ones that match your background, experience and expertise, and write your resume so that your qualifications and experience meet the requirements of the job description. Of course, it also has to be true and accurate. Many ATS's now automatically check details like degrees and even employment dates, so don't lie. Give yourself the best chance of getting your resume seen by making sure your is keyword rich, with the right balance of keywords to make the ATS cut!

IS YOUR RESUME COMPETITIVE? THEN YOU LOSE!

With record numbers of jobseekers actively seeking new employment, you have to work harder – and smarter - than ever before to get your resume seen, and to get in the door for an interview. Having a resume that makes you a competitive player in today's job market is no longer enough to ensure a response to your resume.

Employers in this market have just one question: Why should I hire YOU? In this economy, employers have unprecedented numbers of candidates to choose from for every single job opening. If your resume is just competitive, you don't make the cut. It takes more than a competitor to win in this market – employers have to see you as a superstar.

So how do you take your resume to the next level? How do you convince a potential employer you are the "must-have" candidate? Here are some tips to get you started:

1) Know what's happening in NOW your industry. Conduct some research through professional associations, colleagues, competitors, and news bureaus to make sure you're up to speed on hot topics in your field. Make sure you know what the latest terminology is, and use those keywords in your resume.

2) Recognize what the future holds. Look for emerging technologies, untapped markets, the latest product advancements, and new product developments. Show a potential employer you know what's coming down the road – immediately and long-term - and that you know how to uncover and capitalize on those opportunities.

3) Distinguish yourself. What do you do better than anyone else in your field? What are the strengths, expertise, and competencies that make you distinctive? What would former bosses, customers, and team members tell a potential employer about your work?

4) Quantify your achievements. Think about each job you've held, and ask yourself how your employer benefited because you were there. What did you do – specifically – to increase revenue, reduce costs, improve service, streamline processes, gain market share, develop new products, etc. How much did you generate in revenue? How much time and money did your idea for a process improvement save? Did you help turn around an unhappy customer? How much did that client mean to the company in annual sales? Make your story compelling and powerful with precise details and numbers.

5) Position yourself for your NEXT Role. Don't dwell on where you've been. Position your resume for the role you want next. If you're a Sales Rep who wants to be a Sales Manager, try to bring out instances where you've had opportunities to train new hires, lead projects or teams, or present your successes at local or national meetings. Try to find examples of leadership roles, and bring out that experience in your resume. Let a potential employer know you want to excel, advance, and grow in your career.

Today's job market makes it more critical than ever to have a commanding resume – a resume that gives you a greater competitive edge and more than a fighting chance. If you need help putting together a "knock-'em-dead" document, hire a professional resume writer to help you project the right professional image.

Take Your Resume From Drab to Fab - Critical Steps to Make Your Resume Resonate

Your resume is probably pretty good. You've doubtless done a fair job of outlining your skills, your experience, and your contributions. You've labored over getting all the right key words in there; you've proofread your resume over and over again to make certain there are no typos, no grammatical errors, and no red flags that would cause a potential employer to eliminate you from the running. You've toiled long and hard to carefully craft your resume for one purpose and one purpose only - to get the job you want, right? Wrong. A pretty good resume is going to get you nowhere, especially in this job market. Your resume has to blow them away.

Your resume is a marketing piece. You're writing ad copy. You're making the most important sales pitch of your life, and you have to sell the product (you) better than anyone else. You have to be the product everyone wants to buy and you have to create excitement around your personal brand. I'm sure you've heard this all before. The question is, how do you present your story in an authentic, credible way and at the same time convince a potential employer to "buy" your product? How do you differentiate yourself in the market and make your resume the one that gets to the top of the stack? How do you influence the hiring manager's buying decision?

Here are a few things to think about for your sales pitch:

1) Its Not All About You. Zero in on what the potential employer wants to buy, and position yourself to be the product that employer must have. Read a few dozen job descriptions for your dream job. Target the qualifications, key phrases, and requirements, yes - but go further. Focus on the "sizzle" the employer may have put in the job description. Look for the kinds of personality traits and individual qualities they may be looking for in the person they want to fill that role within their organization.

2) Differentiate Yourself. Think about the professional competencies and skills you bring to the table, of course. But what exceptional talents, knowledge, and aptitudes make you stand out from your peers? What have managers said about you in performance evaluations? What have former employers seen in you that made you remarkable to them? What personality traits do you possess that have helped you succeed throughout your career?

3) Back Up Your Claims. Potential employers want to know that you understand the tangible value you've brought to organizations - and they want to know what you can do for them. Why should they "buy" you? Can you make them money? Can you save them money? Can you improve processes? Increase market share? Boost productivity? Find new markets? Bring fresh ideas to product development? Prove it! Don't say you increased revenue - knock them out with how much you improved sales. Don't say you reduced costs - wow them with the numbers.

4) The X-Factor. Don't forget to add awards and professional affiliations, but also mention any civic or community activities. Potential employers like to know the product they're buying will go a little further and do a little more than expected. They want to know the person they're hiring understands the value of giving back.

Employers are on a quest for the best - in this economy, they can't afford to make hiring mistakes. The competition for every job is unbelievably fierce. Don't let a pretty good resume blow your chances. Close the deal with a resume that makes the sale.

Four Myths About Resumes

There are a lot of myths about resumes - here's four of the most common resume myths that should go away - now.

1) Everyone Should Write Their Own Resume. Of course you can write your own resume, but should you? No one knows your career, skills, accomplishments and experience better than you. But are you trained to know how to take that information and distill it into a succinct, well-articulated marketing tool? Will the resume you create differentiate you in the market and get you to the top of the must-interview list?

A professional resume writer can ask the right questions, bring out essential information, and create a powerful, compelling document that really zeroes in on your unique skills and achievements. A professional resume writer can develop a resume that positions you for the job you want - which is not necessarily the job you currently have. You're smart enough to hire a qualified specialist when you need a new roof or a tune-up on your car. Make sure your resume gets the same expert attention!

2) A Longer Resume is More Impressive. I don’t' know why this myth continues to perpetuate, but somehow it does. We are an instant-gratification society and nobody is going to wade through more than a page or two of information. So edit, edit again, and then edit some more.

In fact, in today's Blackberry, I-Phone, Twitter world, potential employers just might be looking at your resume on a screen no larger than a credit card. You may want to create a quick-to-read, introductory version of your resume that is no longer than a paragraph or two - yes, a Personal Branding Statement. Develop an "elevator pitch" of just a sentence or two that hits the highlights of your skill set and experience, as well as a key achievement or two. If your profile statement takes more than 30 seconds to read, it's probably too long. Have your longer, more detailed resume ready to send as a follow-up.

3) Include Every Job You've Ever Had. Once you've been out in the workforce for more than a year, you can safely eliminate high-school babysitting jobs and part-time summer stints at the local fast-food joint. Employers want to focus on your most recent jobs and accomplishments, so it's generally best to condense experience older than 10 or 15 years into just a line or two. As an added advantange, you'll create space in the document to strengthen the impact of your resume by expanding on your most recent experience.

4) I Don't Need a Resume - I'll Network to Get My Next Job. There's no question that networking is a key part of any successful job search strategy. In fact, up to 80% of jobs are never advertised, and most people leverage their network connections to get introduced to decision makers inside companies where they want to work. But then what? Sending an up-to-date resume is normally the next step in the process. If nothing else, having a great resume will help you clarify and crystallize your professional story in your own mind, and that translates into confident responses when a potential employer asks about your background.

Obviously, your resume won't get you a job. You're the one who has to sell yourself in an interview. The trick is actually getting the interview. Give yourself every advantage in the job search process. A professionally developed, concise, targeted resume is one of the most crucial tools in your search arsenal. A great resume can get the interview so you can get the job you deserve!

3 Things Your Resume MUST Contain - Besides the Obvious

The purpose of a résumé is to help you get a job, right? It's normally the first impression an HR Professional or Hiring Manager has of you - its your introduction - your handshake - and hopefully your résumé will lead to an invitation for a face-to-face interview.

Usually less is more on a résumé. The more concise it is the better, and the easier it is to read, the more chance you have that a hiring manager will take the time to read the entire document.

We all know that a résumé is essentially a laundry list of your employment history, responsibilities, education, memberships and awards, along with other credentials and achievements. The basic elements remain the same, regardless of the format and style.

But in my 10+ years of writing résumés, I've found that the most successful résumés contain components that a lot of people don't consider when putting together their professional story.

Here are three things I think your résumé has to get across to a potential employer:

First, tell the reader WHO YOU ARE. Talk a little about the personality traits and characteristics you feel have served you well during your career, as well as your softer skills and abilities. I'm not talking a novel here, just a sentence or two that gives the reader a sense of how you might fit into their corporate culture. Maybe a couple of words about your management style or how you overcome obstacles.

Second, highlight WHAT YOU CAN DO for a company. If you have particular strengths and competencies to offer, outline them in your résumé. Have you positively impacted sales, profit, productivity? Say so. Even if you have not yet done some of the things you can do, selling your potential and goals can show that you're a desirable candidate who wants to be upwardly mobile.

Finally, PROVE IT. Quantify your contributions and achievements. If you improved a process that saved money, great. But you have to say it in a way that gives your accomplishment power and interest.

"Improved cash flow $150,000 per year by streamlining and tightening inventory control process."

sounds a whole lot more impressive than

"Implemented inventory process improvement, delivering significant cost savings."

Your résumé has to make the case that you are not only capable of handling the responsibilities of a particular position, but that you understand the impact of your job on the company as a whole. Show that you have an interest in benefiting the company, not just collecting a paycheck.

These three things give your résumé life, energy and interest. Give a potential employer more than a laundry list - give them food for thought and a reason to want to interview you!