WRONG QUESTION Do you know a recruiter who specializes in.

WRONG QUESTION Do you know a recruiter who specializes in…. PREORDER the second edition of LinkedIn for Job Seekers, the DVD at a discount. Check out all the specials here. Heres one of my biggest  job search pet peeves: asking for a recruiter who specializes in a particular industry or location. Perhaps youve gotten emails like this: Do you know a recruiter who specializes in IT (or project management, or supply chain, etc.)? Do you know a recruiter in Seattle (or Houston, or D.C., or Podunk, USA)? When I get this question I cringe.  Not because the job seeker is doing the wrong thing (they are just trying to get a job), but because they are barking up the wrong tree.  Heres why I say that, based on my experience and observations. Id love to know what your experience has been Recruiters dont work for you and they dont care about you. Really.  Maybe some of them do (okay, I know some of them who do care about you, as a human being), but their job is to match a companys needs with a candidate who fits those needs.  They work for the company, not you, and when it comes down to it, they get their multi-thousand dollar commission because they placed the right person, not because they spent the time to coach all of the wrong people. Recruiters arent really good at networking. In Never Eat Alone Keith Ferrazzi includes headhunters as that elite group called power connectors.  The idea is they talk to people all the time, know everyone, know what opportunities are coming up, and can likely introduce you to the person you really need to talk to. Wrong. My experience with most recruiters is they (a) are so busy they dont know which way is up and which way is down, and cant take a second to spend any real time with you, (b) are very protective of their network because this is how they make a living (protective of your peers because they might eventually place them one day; protective of company contacts because thats how they get those big-commission opportunities in the first place not by charitably help you, rather by signing a contract with the company so they get a piece of the pie when you are hired). Now, I say they arent good at networking, but in fact they are excellent at networking as it pertains to their job.  Dont expect them to put their networking mojo on to help you figure out who you should talk to perhaps I should say recruiters arent really good at networking for you. When you find that right recruiter, you make THE mistake. I bet 99% of the people do this.  If you ask me for a tech recruiter in Podunk, USA, and I give you a name or send an email introduction, you do the wrong thing. What is the wrong thing? You become a needy job seeker, just like the other 5,000 needy job seekers in their database. You send them a well-thought-out email that looks a lot like a cover letter, talking about all of your great strengths and accomplishments, and a resume.  You have prepared hours to send this stuff, which makes you sound and look very professional, so you think. But you look just like 80% of the rest of their candidates. And then you dont follow up right.  You ask them a week or two later if they got your email, what did they think, and do they know of any positions open. Heres the problem: you are using them like a tool, and they are considering you like a candidate. UNLESS they have a position open right then that exactly matches what you showed them, or if they can recognize some very special qualities and qualifications and know something might come up where youll be the perfect match, you are mentally (and virtually) filed into some add one more to my 5,000-person database bucket. You have marginalized yourself because you played right into the system, instead of actually networking with the recruiter. How do you get around this stuff?  Realize that, as human beings, not all recruiters are the same.  Id say most that Ive met fit into this stereotype, but there are some out there who care more about you as a human being Ive given them credit for.  Id listen to anything that Steve Levy, Heather Gardner, Nick Corcodilos (aka, Ask the Headhunter get on his awesome newsletter) recommends. Heres my advice, if you get the name of a recruiter who specializes in.: NETWORK WITH THEM. Dont send them a resume and cover letter or intro email. From one professional (thats you) to another (thats them), send them an email or make a phone call and network.  Work on a long-term relationship. Nurture it.  Id start off asking them questions about their openings and how I can help them.  I OFFER to make introductions to my industry peers.  I bring something to them to help them do their job and get that commission. I try and become a power connector FOR them. I try to become helpful, and memorable. Sure, theyll know Im looking, but Ill stand out from the other 5,000 candidates they have in their database. My followups wont be do you have anything for me yet, or have you heard anything at my target companies?  That is focused on me rather my followups would be what can I do for you, how can I help you with your current openings, what kind of professional do you want to get to know. Perhaps Im way off-base on this one what do you think? WRONG QUESTION Do you know a recruiter who specializes in…. PREORDER the second edition of LinkedIn for Job Seekers, the DVD at a discount. Check out all the specials here. Heres one of my biggest  job search pet peeves: asking for a recruiter who specializes in a particular industry or location. Perhaps youve gotten emails like this: Do you know a recruiter who specializes in IT (or project management, or supply chain, etc.)? Do you know a recruiter in Seattle (or Houston, or D.C., or Podunk, USA)? When I get this question I cringe.  Not because the job seeker is doing the wrong thing (they are just trying to get a job), but because they are barking up the wrong tree.  Heres why I say that, based on my experience and observations. Id love to know what your experience has been Recruiters dont work for you and they dont care about you. Really.  Maybe some of them do (okay, I know some of them who do care about you, as a human being), but their job is to match a companys needs with a candidate who fits those needs.  They work for the company, not you, and when it comes down to it, they get their multi-thousand dollar commission because they placed the right person, not because they spent the time to coach all of the wrong people. Recruiters arent really good at networking. In Never Eat Alone Keith Ferrazzi includes headhunters as that elite group called power connectors.  The idea is they talk to people all the time, know everyone, know what opportunities are coming up, and can likely introduce you to the person you really need to talk to. Wrong. My experience with most recruiters is they (a) are so busy they dont know which way is up and which way is down, and cant take a second to spend any real time with you, (b) are very protective of their network because this is how they make a living (protective of your peers because they might eventually place them one day; protective of company contacts because thats how they get those big-commission opportunities in the first place not by charitably help you, rather by signing a contract with the company so they get a piece of the pie when you are hired). Now, I say they arent good at networking, but in fact they are excellent at networking as it pertains to their job.  Dont expect them to put their networking mojo on to help you figure out who you should talk to perhaps I should say recruiters arent really good at networking for you. When you find that right recruiter, you make THE mistake. I bet 99% of the people do this.  If you ask me for a tech recruiter in Podunk, USA, and I give you a name or send an email introduction, you do the wrong thing. What is the wrong thing? You become a needy job seeker, just like the other 5,000 needy job seekers in their database. You send them a well-thought-out email that looks a lot like a cover letter, talking about all of your great strengths and accomplishments, and a resume.  You have prepared hours to send this stuff, which makes you sound and look very professional, so you think. But you look just like 80% of the rest of their candidates. And then you dont follow up right.  You ask them a week or two later if they got your email, what did they think, and do they know of any positions open. Heres the problem: you are using them like a tool, and they are considering you like a candidate. UNLESS they have a position open right then that exactly matches what you showed them, or if they can recognize some very special qualities and qualifications and know something might come up where youll be the perfect match, you are mentally (and virtually) filed into some add one more to my 5,000-person database bucket. You have marginalized yourself because you played right into the system, instead of actually networking with the recruiter. How do you get around this stuff?  Realize that, as human beings, not all recruiters are the same.  Id say most that Ive met fit into this stereotype, but there are some out there who care more about you as a human being Ive given them credit for.  Id listen to anything that Steve Levy, Heather Gardner, Nick Corcodilos (aka, Ask the Headhunter get on his awesome newsletter) recommends. Heres my advice, if you get the name of a recruiter who specializes in.: NETWORK WITH THEM. Dont send them a resume and cover letter or intro email. From one professional (thats you) to another (thats them), send them an email or make a phone call and network.  Work on a long-term relationship. Nurture it.  Id start off asking them questions about their openings and how I can help them.  I OFFER to make introductions to my industry peers.  I bring something to them to help them do their job and get that commission. I try and become a power connector FOR them. I try to become helpful, and memorable. Sure, theyll know Im looking, but Ill stand out from the other 5,000 candidates they have in their database. My followups wont be do you have anything for me yet, or have you heard anything at my target companies?  That is focused on me rather my followups would be what can I do for you, how can I help you with your current openings, what kind of professional do you want to get to know. Perhaps Im way off-base on this one what do you think? WRONG QUESTION Do you know a recruiter who specializes in…. PREORDER the second edition of LinkedIn for Job Seekers, the DVD at a discount. Check out all the specials here. Heres one of my biggest  job search pet peeves: asking for a recruiter who specializes in a particular industry or location. Perhaps youve gotten emails like this: Do you know a recruiter who specializes in IT (or project management, or supply chain, etc.)? Do you know a recruiter in Seattle (or Houston, or D.C., or Podunk, USA)? When I get this question I cringe.  Not because the job seeker is doing the wrong thing (they are just trying to get a job), but because they are barking up the wrong tree.  Heres why I say that, based on my experience and observations. Id love to know what your experience has been Recruiters dont work for you and they dont care about you. Really.  Maybe some of them do (okay, I know some of them who do care about you, as a human being), but their job is to match a companys needs with a candidate who fits those needs.  They work for the company, not you, and when it comes down to it, they get their multi-thousand dollar commission because they placed the right person, not because they spent the time to coach all of the wrong people. Recruiters arent really good at networking. In Never Eat Alone Keith Ferrazzi includes headhunters as that elite group called power connectors.  The idea is they talk to people all the time, know everyone, know what opportunities are coming up, and can likely introduce you to the person you really need to talk to. Wrong. My experience with most recruiters is they (a) are so busy they dont know which way is up and which way is down, and cant take a second to spend any real time with you, (b) are very protective of their network because this is how they make a living (protective of your peers because they might eventually place them one day; protective of company contacts because thats how they get those big-commission opportunities in the first place not by charitably help you, rather by signing a contract with the company so they get a piece of the pie when you are hired). Now, I say they arent good at networking, but in fact they are excellent at networking as it pertains to their job.  Dont expect them to put their networking mojo on to help you figure out who you should talk to perhaps I should say recruiters arent really good at networking for you. When you find that right recruiter, you make THE mistake. I bet 99% of the people do this.  If you ask me for a tech recruiter in Podunk, USA, and I give you a name or send an email introduction, you do the wrong thing. What is the wrong thing? You become a needy job seeker, just like the other 5,000 needy job seekers in their database. You send them a well-thought-out email that looks a lot like a cover letter, talking about all of your great strengths and accomplishments, and a resume.  You have prepared hours to send this stuff, which makes you sound and look very professional, so you think. But you look just like 80% of the rest of their candidates. And then you dont follow up right.  You ask them a week or two later if they got your email, what did they think, and do they know of any positions open. Heres the problem: you are using them like a tool, and they are considering you like a candidate. UNLESS they have a position open right then that exactly matches what you showed them, or if they can recognize some very special qualities and qualifications and know something might come up where youll be the perfect match, you are mentally (and virtually) filed into some add one more to my 5,000-person database bucket. You have marginalized yourself because you played right into the system, instead of actually networking with the recruiter. How do you get around this stuff?  Realize that, as human beings, not all recruiters are the same.  Id say most that Ive met fit into this stereotype, but there are some out there who care more about you as a human being Ive given them credit for.  Id listen to anything that Steve Levy, Heather Gardner, Nick Corcodilos (aka, Ask the Headhunter get on his awesome newsletter) recommends. Heres my advice, if you get the name of a recruiter who specializes in.: NETWORK WITH THEM. Dont send them a resume and cover letter or intro email. From one professional (thats you) to another (thats them), send them an email or make a phone call and network.  Work on a long-term relationship. Nurture it.  Id start off asking them questions about their openings and how I can help them.  I OFFER to make introductions to my industry peers.  I bring something to them to help them do their job and get that commission. I try and become a power connector FOR them. I try to become helpful, and memorable. Sure, theyll know Im looking, but Ill stand out from the other 5,000 candidates they have in their database. My followups wont be do you have anything for me yet, or have you heard anything at my target companies?  That is focused on me rather my followups would be what can I do for you, how can I help you with your current openings, what kind of professional do you want to get to know. Perhaps Im way off-base on this one what do you think?

How to answer What was your greatest disappointment

How to answer “What was your greatest disappointment” This is yet another question you might encounter at interview. It is normally framed like a competency question and can be a bit tricky.   The interviewer is trying to get an idea of how you handle adversity; the trouble is that you might not have had any significant adversity to deal with, or at least none that you want to share at interview! So how are you going to answer? What not to do? You don’t want to sound arrogant. Don’t go for the wide eyed look, accompanying an incredulous denial that you have ever been disappointed. This is unlikely to endear you to an interviewer, who probably has encountered one or two setbacks in his or her life. This is not the time to bring up a genuine disaster. I certainly wouldn’t recommend talking about one of life’s great griefs like the loss of someone you loved. While I might have been “disappointed” that my mother did not live to see me build a successful career, I would not want to put myself in the position of talking about this at interview. The emotions involved go far beyond any disappointment and you risk putting the interviewer in an embarrassing position or, worse, upsetting yourself and losing focus. On the other hand you also need to avoid the utterly trivial. “I was disappointed when I burnt my dinner because I was looking forward to eating it” risks a laugh which could just be at you rather than with you! Use this approach only if you can’t think of anything else and then just to buy yourself a bit more time. Start the laugh yourself. That way you can be sure that youre all laughing together and you might come across as the sort of person the interviewer would like to have in the office. Dodging  the question altogether is not really an option either. This approach involves talking about how you always learn from disappointment and change your behaviour accordingly. All very laudable, but it does need an example if it is to be credible. You risk the interviewer repeating the question to allow you to have another attempt, or you might accumulate a negative comment on the interviewer’s mark sheet. Definitely worth avoiding! So, how can you find the  happy compromise? Start by thinking of an example which will allow you to showcase your resilience and your ability to overcome a problem. The exam which didn’t go according to plan might work. You have probably already had to disclose your marks on an application form, so you won’t be telling your prospective employer anything new and you can talk about what you learnt. Perhaps your disappointment made you reassess your work ethic, or take some advice on how to improve? Another option might be the disappointing decision you took for the greater good, but you’ll have to be careful. It could be useful, for example,  to talk about how you gave up an extra-curricular activity to focus on your work and about the disappointment this caused you. You won’t want to be implying though that you don’t do anything but work! You could also talk about the time you bowed to a majority decision which was at odds with what you wanted. You need to take care here too. If you ended up in this position your powers of persuasion obviously didn’t work! Do you need to be particularly persuasive for your preferred job? It’s also quite difficult to talk about what you learnt without potentially sounding petulant. How is this comment going to go down? “I did what everyone else wanted against my better judgement and it turned out badly. It proved that I was right all along.” If you are going to use this example you’d be better sticking with the: “I went along with the majority and although I was initially disappointed it turned out fine. I learnt that it is important sometimes to be prepared to concede a point and that there can be advantages in doing this. It can give you a wholly new perspective on something.” Whatever you decide on this question, it  definitely falls into the category of one youll want to ponder in advance of the interview.

Which Self Should You be in a Job Interview - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Which Self Should You be in a Job Interview - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Youve probably run across articles or blogs that advise job hunters to “just be yourself” to succeed in a job interview. Ostensibly, this would seem to be rather sound advice. After all, no one enjoys dealing with a phony or someone who comes across as disingenuous. Still, I’ve always had problems with such advice, primarily because it tends to be far too ambiguous and is therefore somewhat useless advice for a job candidate. It’s tantamount to telling a candidate, “just do your best,” without providing any specifics on how the candidate should go about doing that. None of us possesses just one “self,” of course, and the self we choose to show others depends largely upon who those others are and under what circumstances we encounter them. We each have our private self, which most of us show only to a very select few. Then there is our social self, which we show to friends and acquaintances. And, of course, there is our professional self, the one that’s on parade while we’re on the job. So, the question becomes, then, to which “self,” exactly, are those who recommend “just be yourself” in a job interview referring? APPROPRIATE BLEND OF SELVES WORKS BEST In our executive recruiting firm, The HTW Group, we coach candidates we present to our hiring company clients to emphasize an appropriate blend of their various selves during the job interview, with the strongest emphasis being placed on the professional self. This approach allows the candidate to come across as being human, while at the same time, as also being a true professional. After all, hiring managers and the companies they represent are looking for someone to do a specific job. They are not looking for new friends! Suppose, for example, that your social self is characterized by a tendency toward gregariousness. You’re seen as someone who laughs easily and a lot, and as someone who also enjoys making others laugh. In other words, you’re simply fun to be around! Is this the “self,” though, that you should be during a job interview? Of course not. It’s certainly OKâ€"even highly recommended!â€"to let this part of your overall personality, your social self, shine through somewhat during the interview, but it should not outshine your professional self. If it does, you risk coming across as someone who doesn’t take professionalism all that seriously, and that could quickly get you eliminated you from further consideration! Or, what if your social self is rather reserved and apparently unassuming? Is this the “self” you should be in a job interview? Well, not exactly, unless you want to risk coming across as someone who lacks assertiveness, or as someone who seems difficult to interact with or engage in any meaningful way. In this case, during the job interview, you would be well advised to sublimate, as much as possible, your social  self and focus on polishing your professional self to project a strong, confident image and bearing. POLISH YOUR PROFESSIONAL SELF I trust that, at this point, most people would agree that the “self” you should be, as well as the one you should primarily focus on and most strongly emphasize during a job interview, is your professional self. However, if you are like the typical job seeker, your professional self quite probably could use a little polishing before it’s ready for prime time. That’s particularly true if it’s been a while since you’ve had a new job interview. While an in depth examination of how to create and maintain your professional image, your professional self, is beyond the scope of this post, here are some key considerations: Do your homework well before the job interview to learn as much as possible about the company and the person who will be interviewing you, if at all possible. (Check out company website, news releases, LinkedIn, Google, etc.) Make sure your professional image, your brand, is perceived as top-notch in each and every correspondence/contact with the hiring manager/company. (This includes your résumé and cover letter, telephone calls and emails.) Compile a list of questions you can reasonably anticipate being asked in the interview, e.g., “Tell me about yourself,” “Why are you seeking this position?” “Tell me about your current boss,” etc., and then prepare and  rehearse appropriate answers to these questions before going in to the interview. Prepare a list of your own questions to ask during the interview, e.g., “Can you tell me a little more about (a new product or service) ABC Company just released?” “If I am the person you ultimately select for this position, what would I have had to have accomplished during the first year for you to be able to say you made a good hiring decision?” Be able to demonstrate how you can make the company money, save the company money, or both. (Make sure your résumé features evidence of how you have already accomplished these things by citing dollars and/or percentages saved or earned on projects you either led or participated in, etc., and then re-sell the hiring manager on how you can also do this for his/her company.) Show up on time for the interview! (Nothing can get you eliminated from further consideration faster than not showing up on timeâ€"no matter how qualified you are or how sparkling are your career achievements!) Make sure you send a “Thank You” note or email after the interview.(Most candidates not only don’t do this, most don’t even think about doing it!) HOW WELL CAN YOU ‘PLAY’? The process for preparing for a successful job interview is often compared to the process for preparing for a “first date,” and that certainly is a good analogy. An analogy that I think fits even better, though, is an audition for a band. Suppose your musical specialty is playing lead guitar. You’re looking for a new gig and you learn that a top band is looking for a new lead guitar player, so you arrange an audition. What do you suppose will be the very first, most important thing the band will want to learn about you? How well you actually play the guitar, right?! Every other part of your “real” self is meaningless until you demonstrate how well you can play! To be successful in your next job interview, approach it with this same type of understanding and mindset. First, show the hiring manager how well you “play” in your professional specialty, then show him/her how rewarding it can be, from a human standpoint, to have you join the “band.” ___________________________ Learn more about how to get your career out of the “stall” mode by investing in Career Stalled? How to Get Your Career Back in HIGH Gear and Land the Job Your Deserveâ€"your DREAM Job!, Skip’s newest book in the Headhunter Hiring Secrets Series of Career Development Management publications.

Guest Post Considering a Career Shift Try These Options

Guest Post Considering a Career Shift Try These Options It’s been said that with dedication and commitment, an average person can master almost any new skill in about seven years. This means that it takes about seven years for most of us to study an advanced discipline, play an instrument, learn a language, or earn a degree that we can then translate into a successful career. Climbing a seven-year mountain may seem like a formidable challenge…at the beginning. But this neurological phenomenon also provides us with a lifetime of opportunity. If our brains are designed to allow a complete reinvention of ourselves every seven years, then we’re never trapped by any one course of action. Even if we’ve invested years of effort in a specific profession or skill set, we’re free to leave that path and start over at any given time. We can sign a new seven-year lease on any hat we chooseâ€"a chef’s hat, an artist’s hat, a pilot’s helmetâ€"the sky is literally the limit. A period of unemploymentâ€"even a prolonged, discouraging job searchâ€"doesn’t have to signal the end of our professional lives. And if you’re open to reinvention but stumped for options, consider the list below. All of these potential careers are in high demand right now, and if you’re willing to invest a little time and discipline, all of them are available to youâ€"no matter who you are or what you’ve been doing up to this point. Healthcare. You can choose to head back to college, major in pre-med, apply to med school and become a doctor. But if that seems a bit daunting, consider a two-to-four year degree program and a set of licensing exams. That’s all you’ll need to become a physician’s assistant, an RN, a licensed phlebotomist, a dental hygienist, or an LPN. Meanwhile, you may only need a six-month to one-year training course to become a medical admin or a billing expert. Hospitality. If you’ve ever considered a career in hotel or restaurant management, this is an excellent time to start pursuing that goal. Basic training programs in this field can require six months to two years, and if you start at the entry level with a large employer, you learn on the job and grow within the company. IT. If you’re willing to earn a set of certifications and apply your coding experience in a practical way by joining open source communities, you don’t need special permission to enter the IT field. Right now, employers are especially interested in programmers who can build mobile apps, provide network management support, and help companies mobile optimize their websites and customer service portal. Running your own business. A strong gig-focused economy has arisen in the wake of the great recession, and laid-off (or bored, or burned out, or just naturally independent) workers everywhere are successfully launching their own enterprises. If you’re especially entrepreneurial, you can draw up a business plan and apply for a loan. If you’d like to keep your overhead costs down, consider freelancing or consulting in your area of expertise. Whatever you decide to do, don’t be held back by fear, or a by a misguided sense of commitment to your current path. If the time has come for a change, take action. The sooner you choose a new course, the sooner you’ll have the tools you need to attract employers and clients.

6 Effective Digital Marketing Tactics and Strategies for 2020 CareerMetis.com

6 Effective Digital Marketing Tactics and Strategies for 2020 Digital ad spending is going up year over year, and it’s projected to just keep rising. With more players in the game and more money is thrown around, you’re going to have to work even harder to stand out.It’s time for you to start working smarter. If you can’t compete with the budgets your competitors are throwing around, you need to compete in other areas instead. Refine your digital marketingstrategy to get the most value for your money in 2020.evalStart using the right digital marketing tactics and strategies now.1) Create Short Video Ads evalVideo has been in for years, but the long-form video ads are starting to tire people out. No one wants to sit through a 30-second or 1-minute video ad before, after, or in the middle of their video content. YouTube is getting overcrowded with long video ads, driving more people to use ad blockers to get around them completely.Buck the trend by taking advantage of the newer short-form buffer ad spaces offered by many platforms. Short, 6-second ads can be more impactful and memorable to customers if they’re made well, and they’re less likely to be skipped. Six seconds doesn’t sound like a long enough time for an ad, but it’s more than enough if you know how to use it. There used to be an entire video platform dedicated to 6-second videos A 2019 Pew Research survey showed that 81% of Americans own smartphones.More people are using smartphones as their primary online devices at home today, rather than computers or tablets. In fact, 1 in 5 American adults is smartphone-only, according to Pew.This revelation needs to fundamentally shift how you think of digital marketing. Rather than making ads geared towards desktop users first, with responsive tech that makes it adaptable to mobile devices, you should be planning your marketing strategies with mobile in mind first.Mobile-first means designing and creating ads and content to work first on mobile devices and adapting to larger screens, rather than the reverse . Responsive websites and ads are effective, but why bother catering to computer users if most of your viewers are likely to be using mobile devices instead of computers? Mobile use has surpassed computer use, and it’s only going to keep growing.4) Shoppable eCommerce Posts evalShoppable posts are a newer feature that’s present on only a few social media apps thus far. The big ones are Instagram and Facebook. What a shoppable post does is places tags on photos that allow viewers to go directly to the pages where those items are sold. It’s a powerful tool for eCommerce brands and influencers who want to make it easier for customers to find the products they’re displaying on models or inaction.It’s really easy to get started with shoppable posts. Though they’re only available in around 50 countries, it’s a good starting point for many brands, especially brands selling to the US market. The benefit of shoppable posts is that they help customers buy with less friction. Sin ce they don’t have to put in the work to find the items they liked from your picture, they can just click on the tags, it helps them make impulse purchases or spontaneous purchases. Shoppable posts are only available for business accounts, not personal accounts.5) Improve Customer Experience with AR evalAugmented reality Personalization is especially powerful for email marketing strategies.Develop a customized funnel to help you identify where a certain person is in their customer journey. Depending on where they are, send personalized emails to them that apply to their specific situation rather than just a general monthly marketing email.Examples of these are product recommendations based on past purchase history, birthday greetings, and specially tailored promotions to bring them back to your site.Marketing changes every year. To stay on top, you have to think on your feet and keep up with the changes. Start working on your 2020 digital marketing strategies now before you’re l eft behind!

Companies Stink At Writing Job Descriptions

Companies Stink At Writing Job Descriptions It is no wonder companies say they cant find good talent. The vast majority havent figured out how to write a good job description. That means more work for the job seeker. And companies receiving hundreds of supposedly unqualified applicants. Lou Adler, CEO and founder of  The Adler Group   a training and search firm helping companies implement Performance-based hiring,  has written a collection of posts on ERE about using performance based hiring criteria. I was initially drawn to Adler for his Anti-Resume movement. (FYI, I hate resumes!) In my little old opinion, weve come to far today to rely on a stupid piece of paper. There are much better ways to prove your value. My favorite of Adlers posts is Recruiters Must Demand Their Hiring Manager Prepare Performance-based Job Descriptions. Lets get thinking- how can companies get better at hiring the right talent and as a by-product, how can we get more people back to work?! And let me confess, I am not a recruiter nor a certified HR professional. I have done my share of hiring and recruiting in the various roles Ive held over time. However, it is often the insights of those outside an area of expertise that can critique the process. Lets all agree that it can be done much better! Furthermore, I dont believe there is an overall shortage of talent. Sure, there are some very specific areas where this is an issue. But for the majority of jobs, it is my belief that companies just dont know how to describe what they are looking for. And that finding transferrables or comparable experience is more difficult to identify, especially for those who are not trained or skilled in doing this. It takes time and effort and many companies or people just dont have these. Lou Adlers 5 S Method Lets use performance measures instead of skills and requirements contends Adler. In his ERE article,  Why We Should Banish Job Descriptions and Resumes, Adler  proposes using the answers in these 5 measurement areas: Scope Scale Sophistication Systems Staff Though he doesnt go into detail, just imagine a company defined the job by completing these answers? This Isnt A Check Box Process Hiring the right person for the job is hard work and risky. But companies can and must reduce that risk by answering the really difficult questions. Heres what Adler asked one President: Then I calmly suggested that what he was describing was the description of a person, not the description of a job. This drew a momentary pause and with the temporary opening I asked,  what’s the most important thing the person you’re hiring for this position needs to do in order for you and the Board to unanimously agree you’ve hired a great person?  He hesitated at first, and repeated the list of requirements, but I pushed him again with the same question, suggesting he put the person description in the parking lot and first define on-the-job success. The president hesitated again, and after a few minutes said something like, “well now that’s a really good question.”   Or lets make it even simpler. Can a job description answer this question: What does success look like? Job Descriptions SUCK Either the copy and paste variety or the templeted version- youve seen them. They show very little thought or detail about what the job really requires. When companies just rattle off a list of desired or required skills they do little to help the applicant understand what, why and how! To prove my point, here are just a couple of snips of the thousands of stinky job descriptions out there. This job description is a sponsored post on a major job board. You would think that if a company is willing to pay the extra money for this ad that it would be better. This posting comes from a recruiting agency that wants to add to their own operational staff. You would expect better from a company that does recruiting and hiring for other companies? How about this job for an Admin Assistant?  I have no clue who PCA and WA Segment Leaders are! Can this even be considered a job description? And it doesnt get any better after this.  Job Seekers, Take Note It is extremely difficult to respond to a job description without sufficient details about the goals and objectives of the job and therefore match up your accomplishments. This is really too bad for companies. But, it will continue to be the norm until more companies are ready to embrace a different kind of hiring. So here are some take-aways for you: Write and speak about your related performance success. Read in-between the the lines of the job description. What problems do they have that you can solve? Applying to any new job (either inside or outside your industry) requires research Develop all kinds of proof that you have performed your job well! (online portfolio, robust LinkedIn profile, recommendations, etc.) I would love to see the worst job description youve come across. Please add it to a comment below!

Office Manager Resume Tips For Professional Cover Letter

Office Manager Resume Tips For Professional Cover LetterAn office manager resume should be similar to your personal resume in the way that it presents the reason for why you are qualified for the position. It is a very important document, as it sets the tone for the interviews that will follow. And with just a little bit of research you can develop an outline for how you want your resume to look like.Making sure your resume is factual and that all references are clearly marked is a good idea to make sure that you stand out from the crowd. All references should either be listed as personal or on a 'professional'employee' basis. Do not forget to include your contact details.Another thing that should be clearly noted on your manager's resume is the work history. This is an important area to think about because this can act as a guideline for what the company expects of the employees. It would be very easy to overlook this detail, especially if you are applying for an administrative posi tion. On the other hand, it is the applicant who has to think about this, so make sure that you put it all in the right place.Managing a job is not the same as hiring a manager. You may be asked to stay on the payroll as long as you like. So to look out for any possible problem areas, be sure to give examples of jobs that you have completed and those that you still need to do.If you have any knowledge of marketing, this should be used. This could include how you planned to market your new position. Be sure to explain any changes in your personal life that might have caused you to relocate. In addition, the type of training you have acquired could be relevant, too.The most important aspect of your resume is its relevance to the prospective employer. Remember, this is going to be used to help the company decide whether you are the right person for the job. Make sure that your objective, qualifications and skills are included in the job description.It is not necessary to include a deta iled description of all the points that pertain to your employment history. Your past employers should be enough to explain your point of view and experiences. However, it is important to mention your salary range and your role in the organization, as well as what you did to bring in more business.An office manager resume must be concise yet informative. This is why it is necessary to consult a professional resume writer to ensure that you have a piece of paper that can be presented to potential employers.