Lessons from the NFL Combine You Can Apply to Job Interviews

Over the past few days, the flat screen in the background has managed to find it’s way to the NFL combine, providing a backdrop of 40-yard-dashes, 225-pound bench presses and vertical jumps while I conduct phone interviews and work on my laptop (hey, I work for myself so I can do that). Each year the NFL has over 300 participants, and the week long grind of tests are not limited to just physical assessments either. Draft prospects must endure grueling interviews, IQ tests, and the infamous Wonderlic test, where participants are asked questions such as, “if a box of golf balls sells for $22.75, how much will 4 boxes cost?” and which number out of a group of numbers is the smallest. Why these questions are asked is neither here nor there, but suffice it to say that is deemed important enough to include in the process. For the 300 plus football players, the NFL combine represents the biggest job interview of their lives. A couple hundredths of a second on the 40-yard dash or the way personality questions can literally be the difference between being drafted in an early round with a boat load of guaranteed money, or falling to a later round (or not being drafted all) and no assurances of a contract let alone a roster spot.

As I have been watching the draft, there are a few things that came to mind that are absolutely valuable and applicable for job seekers who are now in the process of interviewing, or will be some time in the future.

1. Be Prepared! – once the college football season ends for Seniors and underclassmen who declare for the draft, the real fun begins. The majority of players invited to the combine start training with elite trainers in facilities designated to improve performance with respect to speed, power and explosiveness – all so they can be at peak performance levels. Anyone who thinks players sit around after the last whistle is mistaken. It takes hard work and preparation. The same applies to you as an interviewee. If you are not prepared by researching the company, having an understanding of the potential role, and thinking of relevant questions to ask, you can expect not to do well.

2. Know your competition – in the combine this is much easier because players in respective categories know who they will be competing against, and who they need to strive to perform like. If I’m a Cornerback, I know that Morris Claiborne sets the bar in my group. Likewise if I’m a Quarterback, the measuring stick is Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III; For Running Backs it’s Trent Richardson; for Wide Receivers it’s Justin Blackmon, and so on. As a participant in the combine, I know I can improve my draft stock if I can perform at or near the level of the best. As a job seeker, you too need to strive to be the best so you can get the job. However it is not so cut and dry who your competition is, because it largely is a mystery. It may take a few rejections, but if you carefully follow up with the interviewer after not being selected, there are certainly areas they can suggest for improvement (see Overcoming Rejection, and Turning it into a Strength). One hint that is useful to try if you don’t know who was selected for the position is to check LinkedIn in the following weeks and see who’s name suddenly pops up in the position. If you can find it, study their background and see where you differ, or where you may have an advantage. Ask yourself if there are areas you didn’t talk about enough, or important things you forgot to mention? Doing this a time or two will help you be that much better prepared the next time around, and will subconsciously give you the profile of who you need to beat.

3. Prepare yourself mentally – players in the combine are prepared to take the IQ tests and Wonderlic, and if they don’t then they can’t expect to perform well. Mental preparation is as important as physical, because there have been guys in the past who have seen their draft status slip substantially due to poor performance in this area. A big part of the game is mental; this alone can end up being the difference between players who have successful careers, and more talented players who do not. Before entering an interview, be focused, and be composed. Visualization is key too. Picture yourself in the perfect interview, mentally preparing answers to potential questions in your mind beforehand. Think of 4 or 5 of your greatest professional achievements about 30-45 minutes before your interview, and have them fresh on your mind. You will be surprised how you can wind in personal accomplishments to answer nearly any interview question. And if you do so, you will already have a leg up on most candidates who don’t understand this.

Be prepared, know your competition, and prepare yourself mentally. The top performers at the combine executed on all three points. How are you doing with each as an interviewee?

6 Reasons Why Cover Letters Are Overrated

Let me preface this post by stating something up front:

You ABSOLUTELY should have a cover letter, because even though the majority of hiring managers and recruiters don’t take time to read them, we notice if you don’t have one accompanying your resume, and the impression left is not a positive one. As with a previous post (here), I am in no way undermining the need of having a cover letter. I’m just pointing out that there are compelling reasons why you should not be spending a ton of time or money on them. Here’s why:


1. The 80/10/10 rule – 80% of your time should be spent networking, 10% working with recruiters, and 10% applying for positions posted online (Does Your Job Search Strategy Follow the Numbers?). I would even go further and recommend you could spend up to 85% or 90% of your time networking because it taps into positions in the hidden job market, and it works, but let’s stay at 80/10/10 for now. When you network and someone asks for your resume, they are asking for just that. You wouldn’t hand them a cover letter too, because the reason for a cover letter is bypassed. You should send one cover letter when you contact a recruiter, but if they deem you as a candidate they want to present to clients, they handle the resume submission. An initial cover letter is all that is required. That leaves 10% (or less) of your time applying to jobs online that would require a cover letter in addition to your resume. Do the math. Why would you spend half a day “perfecting” your cover letter for something that you should only be devoting 10% of your time to?


2. The vast majority of hiring managers are NOT reading cover letters, because they don’t have time – we are seeing an extraordinary amount of applicants across the board. A big reason for this is because people out of desperation are “shot-gunning” resumes to every single position listed out there, regardless of whether they are qualified or not. Put it this way: if I have 800 resumes to sift through, and over 90% of them have no business being submitted, do you think I’m going to read cover letters first?

3. A hiring manager is sold on your resume, not on the cover letter – the old adage that we are sold or dissuaded in 15-20 seconds is true. Anything that is deemed vital to presenting you as a candidate should be in your resume, and not “saved” for the cover letter. If you are leaving important information out of your resume and instead leaving it for your cover letter, then you just made a fatal mistake.

4. Resumes are saved into Applicant Tracking Systems, NOT cover letters – this means that your cover letter will NEVER be seen by a human eye.

5. A cover letter is not getting your resume read, because we go to the resume FIRST – there simply is NOT time to read a cover letter initially, as explained in point 2. Focus on having a cover letter that is concise, covers the mains points, and does not take you loads of time to create. This is all it has to be.

6. Spend time you would otherwise on the cover letter in networking endeavors instead – a major part of devising the strategy for your job search is to prioritize, and work smart. Taking 3 or 4 hours to “perfect” a cover letter, or pay a professional a handsome fee to do so is neither a smart use of your time, or your money. Take 10 minutes on a cover letter, and spend the rest networking and tapping into the hidden job market.

In a recent engagement that a colleague holding a high level position in HR conducted, the question was asked specifically to a group of around 90 people how many actually took time to read cover letters. Five people raised their hands. That is 5.5%. I personally can’t think of anyone I work with who takes more than a moment to glance at cover letters. Convinced yet?

Do you know who are promoting cover letters the loudest? Resume writers! Why? Because cover letters are a big part of an upsell package most advertise as a necessary companion to your resume. DO NOT spend an inordinate amount of money by being convinced that a perfect cover letter, thank you email, reference sheet, or any other service is necessary. Writers can literally double or triple their takings by convincing you that you need these, and upselling all of these items. The truth is, your resume is the centerpiece; the rest combined have no where near the same weight, and any price not reflective of that should be questioned very seriously.

Social Media as a Job Performance Predictor

A few days back I came across a very interesting article by Lee Hester of WebProNews in which he explores the screening of social media sites by employers as a future predictor of employee performance (Social Media Is Proving To Be An Effective Performance Predictor). A few of the key points than anyone looking for a new job should be aware of:

• 91% of employers are now using social media sites like Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn to screen applicants for jobs
• 47% of employers check social networking sites to screen prospective employees after receiving their application
• Facebook is checked by 76% of employers, Twitter by 53% and LinkedIn by 48%
• 68% of employers have hired an employee because of something they saw about the candidate on a social networking site

What does this mean for you? Social network sites play a huge part of your overall presentation to employers, and should be used as a promotion tool. Employers are watching, so keep it professional. They are looking for certain traits, so pay attention to traits such as conscientiousness, agreeability and intellectual curiosity, and analyze yourself to see if your social media outlets are conveying this message for you.

One mention in the article that I found interesting was the finding that “party shots didn’t really hurt candidates showing they were friendly and outgoing instead.” I would be cautious however, because there is a difference between pictures socializing with friends at a party, and pictures showing you passed out in your own vomit. Use common sense and discretion, because this type of picture could have an adverse consequence – I have seen it countless times.

Choosing a Career

"Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life."
- Confucius –

For some people, knowing that they want to do “when they grow up” comes at an early age. The problem though in some cases is wanting to be a superhero, a Jedi Knight or mermaid won’t be feasible ways to pay the bills. In most cases what most kids want to become “when they grow up” have disappeared by the time they are teenagers or young adults – and sometimes by process of elimination (professional athletes, actors, etc.). Some of us are lucky and successfully forge the course to becoming a doctor or a fireman or an electrician, making childhood dreams a reality. For the majority of us, we are not so lucky. For many of us, choosing a career can take months or years, sometimes decades. And many who have chosen a career switch a time or two or more.

According to The Princeton Review, the average person changes career fields two or three times in their lifetime. The Career Center at the University of California at Berkeley cites that the average student who enters college with a declared major changes it three to five times, and the average student who enters college with an undeclared major changes one to two times.

I commonly have 30-year olds, 40-year olds, and 50-year olds (sometimes even older) ask me for advice on the career path they should pursue, or switch to. I will be the first to admit that I am not a career counselor, nor do I profess to be. I think the key in pursuing any career is to choose from a mix of options that will satisfy your personal desires balanced with financial necessities and/or desires. A short list I have come up with include the following:

Assessing yourself – what natural talents do you possess? Where do your true passions and interests lie? Do you have a preferred work style or location? What kind of work-life balance do you expect? How much money do you want to make? These questions and others are important in assessing yourself as it pertains to a career.

List potential occupations – after assessing your talents, interests, skills and abilities, try writing down some occupations that seem to be interesting to you. There are also self-assessment tests online or through places like your college career center that can be helpful in identifying prospective careers.

Explore options – once you have listed out potential occupations, do some research about each. What kind of training or education does each require? What can you expect to earn over the course of your career? What is the job outlook into the future in the specific field?

Ask for advice from professionals in fields of interest – this is perhaps one of the most valuable tools in this process, not only to learn about careers in fields that interest you directly from someone who is in the profession, but also to potentially gain a mentor and connect for networking opportunities.

Create a career action plan – once you have decided on a career that fits you, plan out all necessary steps to make it a reality. This includes specific training or education endeavors, certifications, or anything else needed.

I am including two links to resources that are of additional help. The first is a well thought out and presented article from US News (here). The other, and it may be a little tough to admit this as a Notre Dame grad (because of the rivalry), but one of the best resources I have ever come across for choosing a career (or major) by a University is from Boston College. I think the 3-Step process they use is of tremendous value: Self-Assessment, Exploring Career Fields, Searching for Jobs.

Set Weekly Goals in your Job Search

Staying motivated is key to success in any job search, especially those that end up dragging on for longer than expected. Another key is to make sure you assemble a strategic plan from the start, and stay organized throughout the process. Part of staying organized is making goals, and striving to attain those goals as you move along. You can make goals on any time basis that best fits you, but the timeframe I have found to be the most useful for most job seekers is on a weekly basis.

It’s been said that a goal is not a goal until is written down. “First you write down your goal; your second job is to break down your goal into a series of steps, beginning with steps which are absurdly easy.” - Fitzhugh Dodson. And that is as complicated as it needs to be. Once broken down, it will alleviate some of the overwhelming feelings that can easily creep in.

The method you choose to document and track your goals is of no consequence, as long as you do it. It really is a matter of personal preference. Some people prefer recording their goals in an Excel spreadsheet, while others favor a personal planner. You could track them in your iPhone, or in a spiral notebook. The most important thing is to keep them all in one place,

The next step is to choose a day and time to list your weekly goals, and to evaluate the attainment of goals from the previous week. This is imperative because only by analyzing your prior activity will you be able to make modifications or alterations to your plan. I have found it works best to keep that day and time consistent each week so that it becomes a habit.

Additionally, a number of factors you may want to consider are as follows:

• Make your goals realistic – successful goals should be measurable, attainable and specific. They should also be realistic, and not completely out of reach. Is it implausible to send out 200 resumes in one week? No. However it’s also a goal that may not be as productive if being sent out just to satisfy your objective. It also isn’t worth stressing over if you only sent out 100 resumes to quality contacts; 200 is quite ambitious.

• Look at the big picture - your weekly goals should break your monthly goals down into manageable portions. You need to factor in undertakings that may take up substantial chunks of your time; it doesn’t need to be nor should it be a 24x7 job.

• Manage your time – it is very easy to become distracted when searching for contacts or jobs online with Facebook, games, personal email, and other time wasters. Treat it as you would any full-time job.

• Stay motivated – don’t be afraid to have some fun from time to time after you have put the work in. You could be in this for the long haul, so doing little things to keep yourself motivated – whatever those may be – will help you stay focused over the long run.

• Reward yourself – part of staying motivated is to reward yourself in some way for meeting weekly goals. It is okay to have events or fun times to look forward to, so use these as incentives to stay on track and work hard, as well as smart.

• Don't be too tough on yourself if you fail to meet a weekly goal. It takes time to know how much you can reasonably accomplish in a week, and when you are starting out give yourself some leeway in order to accurately gauge what can be attained each day, week and month.

Develop a plan, make adjustments, execute it to the best of your ability, and expect results. In the words of Napoleon Hill, “set your target and keep trying until you reach it.”

Personal Branding

The next time you’re driving down the street and come upon a cluster of fast food restaurants, take notice of the common theme among the colorful and bright logos; the golden arches of McDonald’s, the big bold spelling of Wendy’s underneath the famous face, or Colonel Sanders next to the recognizable letters KFC. In-N-Out, Carl’s Jr., Burger King, Pizza Hut, Denny’s, and Sonic all carry the same theme too. So what is it? It’s the specific use of the colors red and yellow in their branding. But why red and yellow specifically? According to the psychology of color, the combination of red and yellow are known to subconsciously trigger hunger and induce excitement. In fact, it is often referred to as the “Ketchup and Mustard Theory.” These colors encourage customers to spend more and leave quickly, representing exactly what fast food restaurants want customers to do. Red represents the characteristics of enthusiasm and passion. Restaurants use red to create vitality and a psychological atmosphere of speed where customers want to order and eat more food. Red also is said to increases pulse, blood pressure, and respiration, all factors related to stimulating the brain, and thus a need for food consumption. Yellow represents the characteristics of brightness and hope just like a rising sun. It provides a positive energy and aura that attracts customers to enter the store. Yellow is also is associated with quickness and speed, two essential elements to any successful fast food joint. Another important quality of the color yellow is that it is the easiest color to see from a distance, which helps to attract people from far away. When red and yellow are combined together, which some people have it not only creates a positive energy to attract customers, but also increases purchase motivation to spend more.

In this example, branding is important because of the story it tells, and the message these companies want to convey. The colors red and yellow in this case strive to create a connection between the product and customer, and also motivates the buyer. A strong brand builds name recognition, and aims to build customer loyalty. The strongest brand names out there have done so successfully for years. You don’t need colors to build your brand, but the attributes associated with such are what you should choose from in building yours.

In the midst of a job search, your personal branding is no different than the branding we are surrounded by in virtually every walk of daily life. In order to open new doors, you as a candidate must be able to effectively convey the value that you bring to the table for a potential employer. You must absolutely present a clear, consistent and instant picture of your value throughout your job search, from initial networking endeavors to final position negotiations. Beyond a resume or cover letter, marketing your brand utilizing social networking mediums such as LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook is essential to your career or job search to establish yourself as a competent, knowledgeable and skilled professional in your field. Through these mediums you must be able to specifically justify the value position you hold, and relay that to prospective employers.

In addition to social networking sites, blogs are becoming increasingly popular as a means to demonstrate expertise in your career area. Not only can blogging be a great way to promote your skills and capabilities, but they can be a great benefit to others as well. When I have a question about a particular type of food, or how to complete a specific project, Google searches often lead me to personal blogs for the answers. If these are useful to me, imagine how a prospective employer in the field will view them.

As a caution once again, just be careful with the social media sites (LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook) to keep all communications professional if that is what you intend to use them for. It sends a mixed message if part is professional, and part is too personal. Leave the pictures of keg stands off completely, or create two separately distinct accounts. And for the other account, make sure that the settings are kept private. We check them.

In short, branding is the image you want to portray to others. Personal branding during a job search is about the value you can provide to employers. Create and implement the right strategy, and it can result in catapulting your career.

Networking Business Cards

“Let me give you my card.” For anyone who has worked any amount of time in the workplace, this is probably a phrase that you have heard, and/or said, hundreds if not thousands of times. Whether you are on a sales call, having a lunch meeting, or simply talking to a neighbor, having a business card on hand is essential to marketing yourself or your business, now or in the future. Even in this day and age of technology where so much interaction is conducted via email and social media, I still have a stack of literally hundreds (or more) business cards I have accumulated from others over the years. And believe it or not, I still use them. Sometimes it’s easier to grab and sift through a pile of cards quickly versus searching contacts on my phone or laptop, especially when distinguishing features make some cards instantly recognizable.

But what do you use when you are searching for a job? The first part of the answer is don’t use your old business card! You are no longer employed (presumably) with your old company, and it just isn’t good form. The solution: create (or have created) a card specifically designed for networking. Networking business cards have the look and feel of a regular business card, and provide you with the opportunity to present essential career and contact information with people you
meet in both social and professional situations. Networking business cards are especially useful for college students who typically wouldn't have business cards. For those who are still employed, career changer you probably don't want to use regular business cards. A nominal investment will print you a good amount of networking cards.

Just like business cards, networking cards contain key contact information, but instead of listing a company and job title, a networking card highlights your brief career profile or distinctive selling proposition. Networking cards include all of your pertinent contact information, including your name, phone number, email address, mailing address, cell phone, and hopefully links to your LinkedIn profile and other professional social media sites. Be sure to print your key qualifications (or summary of accomplishments) on the back of your networking card as well; think of it as a mini resume.

One thing I hate is being handed a business card that is sweaty, damp and hot, and obviously just came out of the individual’s pocket. It leaves a lasting impression……..but not the kind you want. It also is the fastest way for your card to find the nearest garbage can. Invest in yourself and your image, and buy a business card holder to protect your cards and keep them clean and crisp. A wrinkled or worn card won’t leave much of a positive impression either.

Remember, a networking business card is intended to promote you. You never know who you will rub shoulders with at networking events, professional association meetings, or in line at the grocery store. Have them on hand at all times. For more information on how and where to create or print cards, contact me via email and I will help get you set up (rather than making this seem like a promotional piece for certain companies).

Interview Tip – Ask Good Questions

The most disheartening thing that happens near the conclusion of any interview is when I ask the candidate if they have any questions, and the first words out of his/her mouth are…….”how much does it pay?” No words end an interview quicker than these. The funny thing is, these are the same people who have no clue about anything related to the company they are interviewing for……just ask them. Not a good impression to leave, because if you as an interviewee show you only care about the money, you will almost certainly not fit into the culture of the company, because you probably don’t care.

A vital component to any interview is to ask good questions. I would think it would only be natural to have a genuine interest in the details of the job, the environment of the department you'll be working in, your potential supervisor's management style, and the overall mission and culture of the organization. Otherwise, you're either indicating that you're not very interested, or just haven't taken time to think much about it. In any case, a lack of good questions is not giving the right signals to the interviewer.

Prior to any job interview, make sure to do your homework. Become familiar with the company and industry so that you have an idea of what they do. Ask open-ended questions so the interviewer has a chance to go beyond a “yes” or “no.” Also be cautious about asking questions for which the answers are readily accessible on the company’s website or in information online. Doing so will not leave the intelligent impression you would want.

I already mentioned this, but it is worth repeating again: NEVER ask about compensation or benefits. Let the interviewer bring up that subject. It will work highly to your advantage if you do so.

As far as the questions to ask, let those depend on what you truly want to find out (within the confines of professionalism).
It really comes down to what you need to know. Keep it to just a few so you don’t use too much time, or become an annoyance. Some good questions to ask may include:

Why is the position open?
What are the biggest challenges or obstacles the professional in this position will face?
What would a successful first year in the position look like?
How would you describe the culture here?
How would you describe your management style?
Thinking back to the person whom you've seen do this job best, what made their performance so outstanding?
When do you expect to make a hiring decision?
What do you see ahead for your company in the next five years?
What do you consider to be your company's most important assets?
What can you tell me about your new product or plans for growth?
How do you see the future for this industry?
What is the overall structure of the company and how does your department fit the structure?
What have been the department's successes in the last couple of years?
What are the most immediate challenges of the position that need to be addressed in the first three months?

And there are many more. Again, it all depends on what will help you learn more about the position, and what will aid you in making an educated decision if offered the position.

Overcoming Rejection, and Turning it into a Strength

It’s the dreaded letter, the one that says “Thank you for interest in applying for”…or “Thank you for taking the time to interview with us, but…..” More commonly now, a letter (or email) isn’t even sent to give you the bad news. You either figure it out when you never hear back, or when you finally get a call back or are lucky enough to talk to someone at the company directly. Regardless of how you find out, it is natural to experience any of a range of emotions; disappointment, failure, frustration and even defeat. How you respond to a rejection can literally shape the course for the rest of your job search, good or bad. If you choose to dwell on it, it can cripple your confidence, destroy your morale, and inadvertently affect the outcome of future interviews. However, if you choose to learn from the rejection, and take time to find out the specific reasons why you were not selected for a position, you can improve on any deficiencies and be better prepared for the next time.

The first caution I will give if seeking feedback on your interview is to not be defensive. Instead take in the reasons, and consider how you can enhance your answers for your benefit the next time around. It is vital to control your emotions and not burn bridges with the hiring manager or recruiter, because not only will you ruin your chances for future opportunities, but you could also be digging your own grave should the first choice not work out. It does happen, and it would be a shame if you prematurely disqualified yourself by unprofessional conduct.

Be courteous in all communications and interactions with the hiring manager or recruiter. After thanking her/him, don’t be afraid to ask for feedback. There is usually a set of common reasons for not being selected. The most frequent include:

Another candidate was more qualified – the question you need to ask yourself is, did you highlight your qualifications well enough, using examples with real achievements? If so, then perhaps the other candidate was a bit stronger. But if not, then this could have been the reason you were not selected. Learn from this by thinking of 4 or 5 of your greatest achievements, then thinking about ways you could have intertwined them in your responses to the questions you were posed in the interview. By doing so, you can turn this perceived weakness into a strength and interviewing advantage.

An internal candidate was selected – internal candidates are usually chosen because they have proven their worth within the company…….and because no external candidate demonstrated enough in the interview to exceed them. Along the same lines as the previous point, if you missed an opportunity to highlight your achievements, this could very well have been the reason someone inside the company was chosen. However, another common reason, and one you have little control over, is that an internal candidate was identified from the start, and the interview process was nothing more than “going through the motions.”

You lacked a skill – do you truly lack it, or did you simply forget to mention it? If you didn’t talk about it, well, it’s a fatal mistake unfortunately. Don’t do it next time! Even if it takes a few extra moments to think about it, it is worth it for this reason. If you truly do lack the skill, is it worth it to pursue a course of action to acquire it? For example, if the skill in question is not being familiar with Microsoft Access, wouldn’t it be worth it to take a course online, or borrow a book from your local library on it?

You simply did not have a great interview – merely learn from it. Think about what you can do specifically in your next interview to improve the areas of inadequacy pointed out by the interviewer. Perhaps it is a matter of being more relaxed. Did you do your homework and come prepared knowing enough about the company? Did you talk too much, rambling on? Were you not enthusiastic? Did you mention negative things about past or current employers? There are a plethora of reasons that could have been the culprit, so in order to not repeat the mistakes again, it is imperative to discover the specifics through feedback.

Once you have graciously received feedback, ask the interviewer to keep you in mind for future opportunities. Above all, keep in mind that It is not personal, and it says nothing about your value as a person. Strive to learn from the experience(s), and if you can conquer the problem areas, the job at the end of the tunnel will be that much more gratifying in the end.

Facebook + SimplyHired

I continually stress the importance of networking in your job search (at least 80% should be devoted to this). However you do need to also check out jobs posted online (about 10% of your time) and apply as qualified. I have talked previously about using Indeed.com to conduct a search because it is an online job aggregator and saves you time that would otherwise be spent searching numerous job boards. Well another option is to use a combination of social media and an online job aggregator with the service Facebook and SimplyHired have teamed up to provide. Here is how it works:

Go to SimplyHired, then login in to your Facebook account through this site. Once in, this service allows you to research specific companies to see if any of your Facebook friends work at any. This functionality only works with Facebook friends who have listed their employer in their profile, and one obstacle currently is that many people do not list much professional information. However, if you do locate someone on the inside, this now affords you an opportunity to network much like you would on LinkedIn. I have not found the Facebook and SimplyHired partnership to be earth shattering by any means, but you never know. And it is far more worth spending a few minutes learning how to utilize this function to perform quick searches versus surfing all job boards out there and trying to cross reference companies with Facebook friends on your own.

A much better way to use Facebook as part of a job search in my opinion is to reach out to your network directly. Just be sure that if you use Facebook as a professional networking vehicle that pics, status updates and comments not be anything that could be considered risqué, thus hurting your ability to be portrayed professionally. You may want to consider cleaning up your page a bit, or create a new one altogether that is used solely for professional purposes.

LinkedIn – Recommendations

Recommendations on LinkedIn are important for a couple of reasons. Of course the big reason for recommendations relevant to a job search is to show employers you are capable of succeeding for them through praise. When I conduct candidate searches, I always check out the individual’s LinkedIn page (as well as other social media sites). Recommendations give me an idea of the type of employee he/she is, and serve almost as informal references (I say informal because reference checks are much more detailed). The other reason, and probably not as apparent, is that your profile is more visible to recruiters and hiring managers with recommendations. The completeness (or incompleteness) of a LinkedIn profile actually does impact the likelihood of being found in searches for potential candidates.

As a quick guide, I would advocate the following for the optimal recommendations.

- Offer to give a recommendation first. The hope of course is for reciprocation. There are varying viewpoints on asking to swap recommendations, as some people feel uncomfortable with it. However if the relationship is right, this should not be an issue at all.
- DON’T solicit recommendations from people you don’t know. It is not uncommon to have direct contacts that you either don’t know well (for example, met briefly at a social function), or that you don’t know at all. I get the “spammed” requests that people to send to all of their contacts, and they are annoying. In fact a few times I have actually removed them as a contact.
- Mix up the level of people you ask – try to spread them across supervisors, peers and direct reports so that the viewer has a wider view of you. Aim for 10-12 if possible.
- Start asking for recommendations BEFORE you need them. If you start building your recommendations prior to a layoff or departure, you will be much more prepared in the impending job search.
- If possible, do it in a way where recommendations can be reviewed first, such as through email. This will provide an opportunity to make tweaks or alterations prior to publishing.
- If a recommendation is too vague or not stellar, don’t publish it. LinkedIn allows you the option to hide it.
- Be specific:, and focus on achievements. The more specific the examples of success and accomplishments, the higher the impact.
- Make it concise. These don’t need to drag on for paragraphs or pages. A 3 or 4 sentence write-up that covers the essentials and is to the point is all that is needed.

Two Golden Rules of Networking

Above anything else – before mingling at the social events, workshops, professional association meetings, alumni football games – keep these 2 rules in mind first and foremost. Then worry about the rest.

1. Give before you ask or take - find ways to help others first, and the good karma will assuredly find it’s way back to you. Offer what you can to help someone else along the path of achieving her/his goals, and the law of reciprocation will find it’s way back to you.

2. Show sincerity and gratitude – there can never be enough sincere “thank you’s” when someone has given of her/his time to help you. Keep an “attitude of gratitude” for every bit of assistance you receive, be it big or small.

Learn and live these two rules, and the results will follow.

Supplementing your Income while Searching for a Job

Aside from the blow to self-esteem and morale, the financial loss of a paycheck every 2 weeks is a significant issue for anyone who has experienced a layoff. Unemployment benefits can provide some relief, but averaging about 36% of the individual’s wage it does little more than cover the basics or essentials. In the recent past the length of unemployment benefits was 26 weeks. In 2009 Congress extended benefits considerable when it passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, This act actually allows many people to collect benefits for up to 99 weeks. While this is a nice subsidy that helps the unemployed to have some security while searching for a new job, it also is only roughly one-third the normal compensation they are accustomed to. At some point, especially in job searches that drag on for extended periods, job seekers need to decide whether it is worth continuing to receive reduced income, or venture out and make more in a short-term capacity while they continue to search. The following are 4 of the most common alternatives I have seen job seekers pursue while also continuing a job search:

Freelancing

Although freelancing can also mean someone who is represented by an agency or company (see next 2 sections), for this purpose it is intended to describe self-employment. The benefit is that you can dictate the hours you work and charge by the day, hour, a piece rate, or on a per-project basis in an area of expertise or strong experience. It also allows flexibility to continue to search for a full-time position, particularly when it comes to interviewing. There have been a number of freelancers I have observed in this current economy who started out with the intent of concurrently searching for a new job, but had business from their freelancing activities take off to a point that now they do that full-time.

Interim / contract jobs in your field

The biggest difference between this category and freelancing is that these jobs are obtained on a short-term basis in your area of expertise with the company directly, or through an agency. The disadvantage can be in not being able to control your time the same as is freelancing, but one big advantage I have seen many people be able to do is parlay these commitments into full-time positions.

Temp positions

Temporary work may be full-time or part-time, and are normally obtained through an agency. One of the biggest differences from the preceding is that temp work can encompass a wide-range of positions outside your particular area of expertise. All of these categories from a definition standpoint overlap to some degree, but for illustration here the temp positions I am speaking of usually require less skill than freelancing or contract positions, and thus pay lower as well. A nice perk to temp work though is that many people have made nice, and flexible, careers out of temping. If they don’t want to work a particular week, they don’t. This same flexibility is nice in scheduling interviews or meetings while on a full-time job search, and temp positions can become full-time positions if you and the company deem that both sides make a good fit after the trial period.

Part-time work in other sectors

One of the most common types of short-term capacities I see is in food services or retail, although many other sectors are encompassed also. Like the others, flexibility and shorter work durations are key for allowing for a concurrent full-time job search.

I believe one of the unlisted benefits of each option is the stress alleviation (not all, but some) provided to job seekers. One last option that is worth highlighting is volunteer work. The grind of a long job search can make one feel deflated and defeated. Above all, there have to be ways to keep positive while facing rejection or disappointment. Volunteering is a tremendous way to do. Seek out opportunities to volunteer in a capacity related to your area of expertise, or with a non-profit. The possibility to network with other professionals exists, and doing good things to help others is a form of positive karma.

One last thing I want to mention for the job seekers who find themselves getting beat up out there is that job search support groups do exist out there. A link to a useful list of such can be found here

Creating a Target List of Companies

An essential part of your job search strategy is to create a list of companies you would like to for. Why? Well for starters, if you don’t know the first thing about a company, its culture or environment, how do you know you would want to work there? A big mistake job seekers typically make is to send their resumes to any company advertising a position, irrespective if they would be a good match based on the organization’s mission or goals. In every single placement I have made with a company, a substantial portion of the decision on whether or not to present a candidate is based on the personality match with the company environment. There are many otherwise stellar candidates that have not been presented because they would not fit that culture. But that’s okay, because there are many other organizations where they do end up as a great match, and thrive.

Choose companies in your industry or field of expertise that interest you. The resources available to research companies are almost endless. Back in the “old days,” the only resource it seemed was to head to the local library and dig through magazines, books and brochures. Now of course it’s as easy as accessing the internet on your laptop, PC, ipad or phone.

One of my favorites is through Fortune magazine. Not only can you research the Fortune 500, but also the 100 best companies to work for, blue ribbon companies, most admired companies, best small companies, and many more. This will keep you busy for a while, but it will be well worth it.

Another great method is to search LinkedIn's “Companies” section. You can find company information searching by keyword or by browsing industry information. You'll also be able see your own connections to employees at the company, as well as new hires, promotions, jobs posted, related companies, and company statistics. A more comprehensive post I made can be found here.

GlassDoor.com is a site that offers company reviews, ratings, salaries, CEO approval rating, competitors, content providers, and more company information.

Professional associations typically have lists of member companies. Weddles is a great tool as it is a directory of associations listed by industry. It can be used to find member companies at associations in your career field and/or industry.

For smaller companies in your area, simply use some key words in a Google search, or browse your local Chamber of Commerce’s website to see if there is a directory of local companies.. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has a directory you can search to find your local Chamber of Commerce.

An additional way I have fond useful to search for companies is through the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s website here.

If you Google “companies search,” or something to that effect, you will most certainly be assured to find a plethora of pay sites that claim to be able to find just about anything or anyone inside a company. While I am not disparaging the ability for many of these site to do so, I just think it’s a waste to pay for something you can find for free several other places on the web. I have never used a pay site, primarily because I have never had to.

Once you have done your homework, and put together a list of target companies, the next step is to search for open positions and make connections within the organizations if possible. Connecting (networking) is particularly important for knowledge of inside opportunities in the “hidden” job market. The hope of course is to get a chance to interview, as well as gain a reference from the inside.

Visit the company web site to review open positions. Most companies have an employment section with current job openings, and you may be able to apply directly online. Also, search the other job search engines by company name to find additional job postings. The job search engine LinkUp searches only company sites, so it's a tremendous tool for finding jobs with specific companies.

More importantly though, locate and network with contacts at the company who can help you get a foot in the door. LinkedIn Companies, Facebook Groups and Twellow are all great ways to do so using social media. Some additional tips in a post I made not too long ago can be found here.

One last and highly effective way to make contact is through your career services office or alumni office. Ask them if there is a database of alumni you can get in touch with. Most college and universities have alumni who have willingly volunteered to help newer alumni with career networking. There are also alumni groups you can check out and join, even in cities or states outside of the location of the school where you graduated. When I lived in Las Vegas, sports bars all over the city were packed with various alumni groups from schools across the country every Saturday during football season. These opportunities are a great way to connect in person, and extremely valuable if someone happens to work at one of your target companies.

Does Your Job Search Strategy Follow the Numbers?

Before starting your job search, or aimlessly sending out resume after resume online, it is imperative that you put together a job search strategy. Any sound approach should be based on playing the statistics – in other words, formulate your plan around aspects that work. I have said it 100 times, and may as well make it 101. The most important element to focus on in any job search is networking. The numbers speak for themselves.

According to the Harvard Business Review, networking is a crucial strategy for developing relationships that can help you gain insight into an industry or a company. In fact, 65 to 85 percent of jobs are found through networking. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that “70 percent of all jobs are found through networking.” And the New York State Department of Labor’s website states that “Eighty percent of available jobs are never advertised, and over half of all employees get their jobs through networking”

These numbers are pretty compelling. It tells me as a job seeker that I should be spending anywhere between 65-85 percent of my time networking. I would actually suggest keeping that number more in the area of 80% or more. In fact a recent survey by the Wall Street Journal reported that 94 percent of successful job hunters claimed that networking had made all the difference for them.

But why are the numbers so in favor of networking? The answer is quite simple actually – the “hidden” job market. These are jobs you would never have any knowledge of without networking because they are not advertised publicly. There is a slight difference in the prevailing opinions of “experts” regarding the number of positions on the “hidden” job market, but the consensus seems to be around 15-20 percent of jobs being advertised publicly, with the other 80-85 percent not. Wendy Kaufman of NPR discloses (A Successful Job Search: It's All About Networking) in a piece she produced on networking that "at least 70 percent, if not 80 percent, of jobs are not published.”

I would say the overwhelming majority of job seekers I encounter are spending 90% or more of their time applying online, and next to none networking. In other words, they are spending 90% of their time on something that produces less than 10% of the overall results. Not a great strategy, and little wonder that the majority of the same are not having much success.

Mark S. Granovetter, a Harvard sociologist, reported to Forbes magazine that "informal contacts" account for almost 75% of all successful job searches. Agencies find 9% of new jobs for professional and technical people, and advertisements yield another 10% or so.

So statistically speaking, the breakdown in the time you spend on your job search should be close in line with the following:

80% networking
10% with agencies/recruiting firms
10% applying to positions posted online, in a newspaper, or other publicly advertised method

In preceding and subsequent posts I have either addressed these subjects, or will be addressing these subjects in more detail. Before I end this post however, let me just mention something about agencies and recruiting firms. It is best to develop a solid relationship with one or two. I have talked about this before, but when five different agencies are asked to search for the same position, and you have submitted your resume to all five, it will do you more harm than good. (Article here, 3rd paragraph).

And one last caution: the pitfalls of posting your resume online.

Happy searching!

The Cost of Being Unemployed

Recently in an article appearing January 20, 2012 on MSNBC LIFEINC., It was noted that the median duration for unemployment was 21.1 weeks as of January 2012. The median of course is the middle number that separates the higher half of a sample from the lower half, and is different than the average. This presents some interesting findings for job seekers. Upon closer inspection, the Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that the average search process is taking 40.1 weeks. That is up nearly 5 weeks in length from a comparison of a year prior. And don’t forget that there are people who have simply given up due to fruitless job searches, and do not count as unemployed for the purpose of calculating the unemployment rate. That can in essence bring the total unemployment rate up a percentage or more, and it also does not take into account those job seekers who are underemployed. All in all, the reality is that you could be in for a long job search if you are not actively and aggressively pursuing new employment.

Putting this in perspective, and in terms of real cost to a job seeker:

A $20,000 salary is $384.61weekly: a 40-week job hunt will cost you $15,384.40
A $50,000 salary is $961.54 weekly; a 40-week job hunt will cost you $38,461.60
A $75,000 salary is $1422.31 weekly; a 40-week job hunt will cost you $56,892.40
A $100,000 salary is $1923.08 weekly; a 40-week job hunt will cost you $76,923.077

Aside from the financial costs, a different and equally as serious cost is the loss of confidence among job seekers. And for those who are employed, living in fear that “today might be the day” is an awful predicament to wake up to every morning.

The intent of me writing this is not to scare you, but to encourage you to be very proactive during your job search, and if you are employed, prior to a search that may be brought on by downsizing or a layoff. The bright side to all of this is that I have seen numerous professionals who have been laid off in this economy, and end up with BETTER jobs. As against the grain as that may seem, it is happening. But it isn’t without a clear focus, hard work, and execution.

The entire reason I started this blog was to give advice on a range of areas that are pertinent to a successful job search. From networking to LinkedIn, it is vital to have a solid understanding of the ways people are finding jobs today. Take this opportunity to tune up your interviewing skills, enhance your resume, and pursue additional training or certifications that will help you. Most importantly, keep a positive attitude. If you are a struggling job seeker, believe in yourself. The results will surprise you.

“Just Lin, Baby! 10 Lessons Jeremy Lin Can Teach Us Before We Go To Work Monday Morning”……..Applied To Your Own Job Search

If you have paid any attention to ESPN, CNN or virtually any other news outlet over the past 10 days, you probably now are familiar with the name Jeremy Lin. If you still have not heard of him, you really should take 10 minutes of your time to become acquainted with his story. He is suddenly the NBA’s real-life version of a compilation of Rocky, Rudy, Hoosiers, The Rookie and We are Marshall wrapped into one. But his is a story that is more about persistence, hard work, humility and perhaps most important of all – believing in himself.

Despite leading Palo Alto High School to the CIF Division II state title his senior year, including an upset over nationally ranked and perennial powerhouse Mater Dei, Lin was not offered a single athletic scholarship to play in college. On his own, Lin sent a DVD of his playing highlights along with his resume to Cal, Stanford and UCLA as well as every Ivy League School. He was offered an opportunity to walk-on at the schools close to home, but would have to pay his own way – if he made it. Only Harvard and Brown guaranteed Lin a roster spot on their basketball teams, but the Ivy League does not offer athletic scholarships. He eventually ended up at Harvard, even though his new head coach was not sold on his abilities at the beginning.

Jeremy Lin made history when he became the first American born player of Taiwanese or Chinese descent to play in the NBA. There have only been a handful players of Asian heritage to play in the NBA, period – Yao Ming of course being the most famous. The first obstacle he had to overcome was the preconceived notion many probably held about his ethnicity.
In fact Lin has said that while playing at Harvard, he did hear taunts at opposing gyms related to his heritage. Instead of letting this affect him adversely, Lin used it as motivation. And it served him well. By the time he was a senior at Harvard, he was voted unanimously to the All-Ivy League First Team, had been among 30 midseason candidates for the John R. Wooden Award (given to the top player in college basketball), and a finalist among 11 for the Bob Cousy Award. Yet once again, he was overlooked and went undrafted in the 2010 NBA draft.

Making the NBA posed another challenge for Lin. Not only did he not have ethnicity on his side (as noted previously, Lin was the first American born player of Taiwanese or Chinese descent to play in the NBA), but he also did not have any advantage having played in the Ivy League; the last Ivy Leaguer to be drafted was back in 1995 (Jerome Allen of Penn), and it had been 7 years since an Ivy Leaguer had touched an NBA floor (Chris Dudley of Yale in 2003). And to compound the barriers before him – the last time a player from Harvard had played in the NBA was 1954. For those of you counting, that was a period of 56 years. Not the best odds in any aspect.

Undrafted and undeterred, Lin jumped on the one opportunity he received – a chance to play for the Golden State Warrior’s summer league team in Las Vegas (a preparatory league for drafted and undrafted rookies, as well as an opportunity for invited players playing overseas and the NBA development League to make a team). He seized the opportunity, playing well enough in league play to receive offers from the Lakers, Mavericks and Warriors. Eventually Lin signed a 2-year deal with the Warriors. If the story had ended here, the closing scene could rival that of Rudy, with Lin entering the end of a game, and a contingency of Asian Americans cheering him on in his Bay Area home. In fact he had what was described as a cult following, and some people questioned the Warriors’ signing of Lin as being a publicity stunt. His rookie year was tough, with not much playing time, and a 2.6 point average in 29 games. Lin also spent time playing in the NBA D-League to get playing time. Then the Warriors drafted a point guard in the draft, and before the start of training camp this season Lin was waived. And the story ending here is an unbelievable success; an undrafted Ivy Leaguer who defied the odds and played for an entire season in the NBA.

But it’s not over.

3 days later, Lin was claimed off waivers by the Houston Rockets. Less than 2 weeks later, he was released again. It would have been easy to throw in the towel, but he persisted. And as fate would have it, the New York Knicks, who had issues at point guard, claimed Lin off waivers only a few days later. He again assumed his role as a backup, and willingly accepted his assignment to play for Erie of the D-League. Yet again, he took full advantage and shined. Lin recorded a triple double on January 20th (28 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists). The Knicks took notice, and called him up 3 days later.

Whether it was luck or fate, the fact remains that Lin capitalized on every last opportunity that came his way this time. He truly seized the opportunity in a system that fit his style, and with the belief he could succeed. And succeed he has, even if he was crashing on his brother’s couch (a medical student at NYU). With the chance to start, and a thinned Knicks roster due injuries and a death in the family, Lin scored 20, 38, 23, 28 and 25 in 5 consecutive wins (and counting). He also averaged 8 assists and 4.2 rebounds during that span. How is it even possible that he could have essentially come out of nowhere, and perform at such a high level? Eric Jackson of Forbes lists 10 lessons from Jeremy Lin we can apply to ourselves. There are so many ways these lessons can be applied to each of us, but since I am a recruiter I want to take a slightly different approach. I am going to apply each point to the perspective of a job seeker, because there is value to be gained in each tip:

1. Believe in yourself when no one else does – despite the tough job market out there, and perhaps a barrage of rejections, you have to continue to believe in yourself and your abilities – even when it seems like nobody else does.

2. Seize the opportunity when it comes up – you never know when that ideal job is lurking around the corner. Be prepared, because opportunities arise when you least expect them.

3. Your family will always be there for you, so be there for them - I will extend this point to include your entire network (colleagues, friends, mentors, family). Don’t underemphasize the strength of a strong support group, especially during the most trying times.

4. Find the system that works for your style – you may not be having job search success because you may be looking in the wrong places. If a company’s culture or structure does not fit your style, then chances are very slim a position with them would work successfully. It’s important to do your homework, and make sure that an organization is a fit for you before spending time pursuing jobs that won’t pan out.

5. Don’t overlook talent that might exist around you today on your team – often we make assumptions without properly evaluating someone, or the entire situation. You could be overlooking someone who can get your foot in the right door today.

6. People will love you for being an original, not trying to be someone else – don’t constantly compare yourself with others. You bring your own unique talents, skills and abilities to the table. As long as they are positive, they can be a great benefit if displayed well.

7. Stay humble – one of the most important, if not the most important traits I can connect with a thread in the top executives I meet is the dose of humility they all possess. They treat the guy who takes out the garbage with the same high level of respect as any member on the Board of Directors.

8. When you make others around you look good, they will love you forever – this is one of the secrets in effective networking. It is give and take, not just take. Do not approach networking or building relationships solely from a standpoint of getting what you can from somebody else. Give back, or give first, and you will be amazed at the results.

9. Never forget about the importance of luck or fate in life – whether it’s luck, fate or something else, don’t forget to show gratitude. True thankfulness and appreciation garners more good will and “luck” your way.

10. Work your butt off – searching for a job is a process, and should be treated as such. You can’t expect to send a couple resumes off over the internet and have a job in a week. Put together a strategic plan, and be prepared to spend the time needed to execute that plan to success. Beat the pavement and you will see results.

Employment Outlook – January 2012

As part of any job search, I would advise staying abreast of the economic outlook for various industries. The best place to do so is on the U.S. Department of Labor’s website; specifically the Bureau of Labor Statistics. I am asked about the “hottest” sectors quite often, so I think a monthly post on the subject is on order.

We are all by now probably pretty familiar with the gloomy aspects of the employment outlook over the past 3 plus years. However there are some encouraging signs the past month in a variety of sectors:

“Professional and business services continued to add jobs in January (+70,000). About half of the increase occurred in employment services (+33,000). Job gains also occurred in accounting and bookkeeping (+13,000) and in architectural and engineering services (+7,000).”

“Over the month, employment in leisure and hospitality increased by 44,000, primarily in food services and drinking places (+33,000). Since a recent low in February 2010, food services has added 487,000 jobs. In January, health care employment continued to grow (+31,000). Within the industry, hospitals and ambulatory care services each added 13,000 jobs. Wholesale trade employment increased by 14,000 over the month. Since a recent employment low in May 2010, wholesale trade has added 144,000 jobs. Employment in retail trade continued to trend up in January. Job gains in department stores (+19,000), health and personal care stores (+7,000), and automobile dealers (+7,000) were partially offset by losses in clothing and clothing accessory stores (-14,000). Since an employment trough in December 2009, retail trade has added 390,000 jobs.”

It is also noted that a loss of 8,000 jobs was experienced in the motion picture and sound recording industry, and employment in construction increased by 21,000 in January, following a gain of 31,000 in the previous month.

According to the report, the unemployment rate declined by 0.2 percentage point in January to 8.3 percent, and total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 243,000 in January.

The full report can be found here

Job Outlook 2012

In an article appearing this past week in Forbes entitled “Jobs Outlook 2012: Careers Headed For The Dustbin (by Jenna Goudrea),“ a number of interesting findings are presented that should be of particular interest to anyone currently looking for work, or planning to pursue a new job or career at any point during 2012. Most notably pointed out perhaps are the 20 fastest-declining jobs through 2020: agricultural, production, and administrative support occupations:

“The biggest projected losers are farmers, ranchers and other agricultural managers. The occupation tops the list with an expected decline of 96,100 jobs, or 8%, by 2020.”

These jobs along with “unskilled manufacturing jobs that require little to no education are also being displaced to other parts of the globe. Sewing machine operators (No. 3) are projected to decline by 42,100 jobs, or 26%. Meanwhile, electrical and electronic equipment assemblers (No. 11) will fall by 6% and prepress technicians and workers (No. 13) by 16%.”

Ms. Goudrea goes on to mention other sectors affected, including the federal government’s postal service arm that is expected to lose 182,000 jobs. She notes that Mail Sorters could be cut by 50%.

“Office and administrative workers will also be hit hard in the coming years. Technology advances have enabled modern professionals to take charge of their own typing, filing and phone calls. Thus, switchboard operators (No. 4) will decrease by 23%, data entry keyers (No. 7) by 7%, word processors and typists (No. 8) by 12%, and file clerks (No. 12) by 5%”

“Most of the 20 disappearing jobs—including yet unmentioned fast food cooks (No. 5), door-to-door salespeople (No. 9) and florists (No. 18)—require only a high school degree or its equivalent.”

By now it is should be apparent that a common thread present is the loss of unskilled jobs requiring low education and the loss of jobs due to advances in technology. Well if you are reading between the lines , by now you should be able to guess one industry that will be on the upswing: Education. Ms. Goudrea notes that “jobs needing a master’s degree projected to increase by 22%, a doctoral or professional degree by 20%, and associate’s degree by 18%.” What this should suggest to you is that if you don’t have the necessary education or specialized skills to be a competitive candidate, you may want to explore that possibility. But also keep in mind that there are plenty of highly educated people who have either been let go, or who are on the verge of facing layoffs. Be wise in the specific higher education you pursue.

Okay, so what industries are going to be moving upward? According the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics, health care services, personal care and social assistance, and construction will experience the fastest growth through 2020. Anything technology or service related will be on the rise as well.

What does this mean to you? Well for starters, if you are a college student with an undecided major, these fields would be worth looking into. If you are a displaced worker, it may make sense to explore continued education or training, especially if you were previously employed in any of the sharply declining fields pointed out in the article. To me it even makes sense for someone as young as a high school student to be aware of the economic and job trends for the coming decade in order to plan now for a career in a flourishing field.

Using Twitter as part of your Job Search

We all have heard (probably too much in fact) that social media plays an important part in any job search. I talk about LinkedIn a lot, and if you haven’t heard of Facebook by now you must be living under a rock. Up until now I have not mentioned much if anything at all about Twitter This also is an important medium to utilize, and if used right can be a valuable asset to your job search.

There are a number of different ways to use Twitter in your job search, including networking, being informed of job postings (not posted online or elsewhere), and connecting with people who share like interests, passions or industries worked in.

- Networking: Find people who share similar interests as you to network with. Whether that be with people in shared groups, similar professions, or with common interests, Twitter provides an excellent opportunity to network and get the beat on jobs of interest.
- Connecting: Similar to LinkedIn, you can locate and contact someone at a given company. This is particularly important for building relationships with employees at companies where you are interested in working. Also, sometimes people include their email address in their profile so you can contact them that way
- Job Postings: As a result of the connections you make, you may have the opportunity to be apprised of jobs that you would otherwise not be privy to. Over half of the jobs that exist in the marketplace today are not posted on traditional job sites such as CareerBuilder, Monster or HotJobs. The only way you can find them is through internal sources.

Another great Twitter tool is Twellow, a means to be able to search Twitter profiles. There are 8 main categories to search, with subcategories in each. The categories include Recreation & Sports, Entertainment, Society & Culture, News & Media, Health, Computers & Technology, Government and Education. There are around 20 or more subcategories under each listing. You can search for a company that you want to work for, or can search people’s bios and URLs associated with their bios. You may want to even find a group from an industry you are interested in breaking into, and ask people in that industry what they like about the industry, or how they broke in. Be creative, and the possibilities are endless.

“Follow” Companies on LinkedIn

As part of your overall job search plan, you should be creating a list of target companies you would like to work with. It is important to actually research these companies to not only learn as much as you can about the company, but also to determine that you would be a good fit. There is no reason to pursue employment with an organization where you would be miserable working.

Once you have concluded that a specific company would be an employment preference to pursue, it will be important to stay apprised of the latest job openings and happenings within the company. LinkedIn now makes it possible for you to “follow” any company, including updates on new employees who have joined the organization, and employees who have recently left. Best of all perhaps is that you can be notified when new jobs open. Here is how to set it up:

Log in to your LinkedIn profile, and select the “Companies” tab at the top. This will bring you to an empty box under the title “Search for Companies.” Simply fill in the name of the company you would like to follow, and press the Search box.

When you arrive at the company profile, notice that you can click “Follow Company” over on the right. The “Following” box will now be checked. It will also have a scroll down arrow directly to the right of “Following” which if you click on will bring you to the options of “Stop Following” and “Settings.”

Click on “Settings” and a pop up box will emerge. You will now be given the option to be notified when:

- Employees Join, Leave, or Are Promoted

- New Job Opportunities

- Company Profile Updates

You can also choose the frequency with which you are notified, either Weekly or Daily.

Once you become more acquainted with the features, you will see that there are a number of possibilities this provides for your job search, including connecting directly with current employees, and finding out why former employees left. You can familiarize yourself with the structure o the organization, and learn the names of key management members (which can be a plus for future interviews). Even if it is simply for receiving new job notifications, it is definitely worth your time to check it out.

Online Applications - yet another great reason to network

I hear the horror stories all the time about how long it takes to fill out online applications. I remember having to fill out online applications myself several years ago, and it was both time consuming (wasting) and a pain. There is nothing worse than spending 45 minutes filling in every little last detail on an online job application, only to press the “submit” button and be informed that your background does not meet the stated criteria in one form or another. Whether it is because you don’t meet a minimum number of years of experience in the industry, or you don’t hold a certain certification required, the bottom-line is that you have now wasted your time and have come no closer to getting an interview, much less a job.

So why do so many companies use them? Well the answer is really two-fold. First, online applications are used to populate databases, such as applicant tracking systems, which make it easier to find the best candidates (at least in theory). With hundreds upon hundreds of applicants for any given position, it is much easier to search those resumes using key words than to have someone do it manually. The other major reason for using an online application system is because the government requires information on the race and gender of applicants to be tracked in order to ensure that positions are being offered to a diverse group of individuals, and that they are attempting to interview and hire diverse candidates. If you have filled out an online application before, you should be familiar with the last question that asks specifically for your race and gender in the form of a voluntary survey. This seems counter to most of us who have grown accustomed to being familiar with the taboo questions employers cannot ask, and the protection from being discriminated against based on race, gender, age or religion. Don’t worry, you are still protected.

Federal law prohibits discriminating against job seekers due to any of the aforementioned, and there are very strict guidelines for how this information is handled, and is only to be used for the purposes of analyzing the diversity of the applicant pool for specific companies to ensure that EEO and AAP targets are being met. These surveys should not extend beyond race or gender. I once heard of an online application asking for a social security number. While not uncommon to be asked for such near the end of the interviewing process to run a background check, it is very suspect to be asked at the beginning. You may want to question the intent.

Is there a way around the online application? Yes there is, and that is by getting past the gatekeeper(s) and straight to the source. I continually stress the importance of networking and leveraging contacts. If you can get your resume directly into the hands of a hiring manager, your chances increase significantly. You may still be asked to adhere to protocol and fill out the online application, but at least you know you have a leg up on most everyone else. Network, network, and network some more.

Let me add just one other reason for an online application, and that is to replace the old way of doing things – the hand-written application. There still are some companies that use this method, but the overwhelming majority of companies have joined the electronic age and do not. If you think it sounds like a daunting task to whittle down hundreds of resumes electronically, can you imagine how time consuming it would be to do it with a stack of physical paper applications?

The thin line between Enthusiasm and Annoyance

If you are a job seeker in this economy, you have most assuredly come to the realization (or are coming to a realization) that you have to be a bit assertive in order to rise to the top of the competition. A record number of applicants are applying for jobs across the board, and the dilemma job seekers face is standing out in the crowd. The key is to be aggressive, but not to cross the line in becoming too aggressive. The following 4 points are areas that I see most commonly as problems for candidates if their enthusiasm transcends into the realm of annoyance.

Follow Up vs. Stalking

It is important to follow-up after an interview, or after applying for a position. In some jobs, like sales, showing that you have follow-up skills can be a good thing since that is a related key to success. However there is a boundary between simple follow up, and too much follow up. As a rule of thumb, wait at least a few days to a week before making any contact after applying. After that, don’t email or call more than once per week, and after 3 or 4 unanswered queries, it is probably a good sign they are not interested. For interviews, send a Thank You email to the interviewer the same day, and make sure you understand the timeline for the hiring decision. If you are implicitly told that it could take up to 3 weeks to make a decision, then don’t make contact 3 days later wanting to know the status. An incessant string of emails and/or voice mails in a short period of time is irritating. Put yourself in our shoes: what type of impression would 3 voice mails and 4 emails in an 8-hour span leave on you?

Showing up out of the blue

If done correctly, show up to the company and drop off your resume (and a tailored cover letter) to a receptionist in a manila envelope. But if the organization has a stated policy such as “no calls,” or “online submissions only,” it is probably a good idea to follow that protocol. There’s no easier way to ensure you won’t be considered for a position than to show up and ask to see the hiring manager directly. And if you are told by the receptionist to please follow the company’s procedures for submittal, you will not do yourself any favors by reacting negatively or rude.

Being over-exuberant…..until you don’t get the job

There is no quicker way to burn the bridge for future consideration with a company than becoming angry, impolite or downright rude when not selected for a position. I have noticed that usually the people who do so were all overenthusiastic during the process. It’s almost like a huge mood swing, and it’s not attractive to employers. If you are not selected, sincerely thank the interviewer and organization for the opportunity to interview, and keep all interactions positive. Why? Because it isn’t uncommon for the candidate selected to receive a counter-offer from his/her current position, or to just not work out. If you have maintained a positive impression throughout the entire process (until the bitter end), you could be next in line. You also never know how many connections the interviewer has at other companies in your industry. A momentary lapse of judgment in this regard can end up costing you dearly.

Calling to follow-up vs. Misrepresenting why you are calling

As already mentioned, it is a good idea to follow-up after applying or at the conclusion of an interview within accepted parameters. This is the acceptable use for a call. The list for unacceptable reasons to call is a bit longer. One of the most annoying is when someone gets through to you because he/she misrepresents the call to the receptionist. You think this call is for one thing, and it ends up being disguised as a call asking about a position or a resume that was submitted. The only result that comes from a misleading call is permanent dismissal from future interactions or considerations. It also becomes annoying when job seekers cold call numerous employees within the same company, and when they call every 15 minutes, only to go to voice mail, and then repeat the process over and over and in hopes of getting someone to answer. I take not of that number, and believe me, I make sure that it is answered just one time – to let the individual know to never call again.

Focus on the company’s needs, not yours

This is a pet peeve of mine, that’s undeniable. But beyond me, there are many professionals in my industry who feel the same way. So what is it we find so irritating? Reading resumes and cover letters that are chalk full of the wants and needs of the applicant, with no mention of what they BRING TO US.

“I want this much money.”

“I want the job to fit my personal schedule.”

“I want a position with flexibility and growth.”

“I want, I want, I want!”

The unfortunate truth is that right now in this economy, the power lies with employers. A prospective employer wants to know what you bring to the table, and what value you bring to their organization. If you don’t have the skills, education, or experience to meet the requirements needed in the position, it is completely irrelevant what demands you carry. And even if you do have the aforementioned background, but demonstrate a lack of genuine interest in the company by focusing exclusively on your needs, then you will not make it past the screening stage. Hiring decisions are made to fit the needs of the company, not yours.

So what can you do to show you are genuinely interested in meeting the needs of the company? Start by researching the position as well as the company. A quick Google search should provide an abundance of information. Pay particular attention to the company’s goals, and what the entire scope of the position entails. At that point you can focus on how you can bring value to the role. This is what we as recruiters and hiring managers want to know.

Additionally, make sure to address the company as they should be addressed: with the company’s name, address and name of contact person (if known) at the top of your cover letter. So many cover letters look like an extension of the resume, with the applicant’s name and address taking center stage. It is not about you. Make it about the company. Make all of your statements about the worth you can bring to them. As simple as it sounds, you will already have a leg up on a good portion of your competition if you do so.

In brief, approach every potential position from a standpoint of what you can bring to them, and not vice versa. It is important to determine on your end if you are a good fit for the organization, and that is fine. But don’t make your desires a focal point. Doing so is a quick way of ensuring your demise, regardless of whether or not you conclude you are an amicable fit.

Don’t know the name of the hiring manager? Try a few of these to find it

When submitting a resume, it is always a nice touch to include the name of the hiring manager or human resources professional on the accompanying cover letter. But more often than not, ads online do not include the name. There are a number of reasons why, but one of the most common right now is so that he/she can avoid being bombarded by calls from recruiters and job seekers alike. I have been on that end of the phone, and I can’t blame them. It’s time consuming, and can quickly become annoying. So without a name provided, how can you find one? Well here are a few tips that have successfully helped other job seekers with the same dilemma.

We live in a Google and online world. You can literally find just about anyone or anything. With that being said, do a Google search of the company name along with key words such as the title (or presumed title) of the manager, or "jobs," "employment," "human resources" to see if a similar posting has been archived from the past with the contact name listed.

Along those lines, try searching LinkedIn and Facebook using the same type of clues. LinkedIn in particular is about the easiest method for finding someone – I do it all the time.

Make a call to the main line of the company, and ask for the name of the hiring manager. Be conspicuous, and not too obvious so as to not blow your cover.

Try contacting an employee at the company and see if he/she will provide it. Even if you don’t find the exact name of the person you are searching for on LinkedIn or through a Google search, you should be able to find quite a few others within the organization.

And if you do find a name and want to do some additional research on the person, there are also an increasing number of search engines popping up such as Pipl, Wink, Zoominfo and Zabasearch. These sites are touted for being able to search deeper into the web than an engine like Google. But there is a line here that shouldn’t be crossed either. You don’t need to be accused of being a stalker.

Addressing the Lack of a Degree on the Resume

One question that comes up quite often is in regards to not having a degree when a job specifically requires one. I will be the first to admit, even holding a Master’s degree from a well-known University, that having a degree alone should not necessarily be a deciding factor in whether or not a candidate gets a job. Case in point: are you going to hire someone who has 20 years of experience and a track record of upward growth in accounting, or the candidate who as zero experience but has a degree? In my estimation, you are taking a much bigger risk hiring the candidate with zero experience. Hands-on job experience does make a difference. There is only so far a textbook or lectures can take you without practical application. The problem is how can you convince a prospective employer to hire you when they are adamant about having a degree?

Don’t panic, because there are a few ways to overcome this. First, and as I alluded to, many employers will overlook the lack of a degree if an applicant has sufficient experience directly related to the position. The key is to place the spotlight on the achievements, unique skill set, and distinctive background you do possess. You can also boost your candidate standing by emphasizing professional development or training endeavors in order to display a commitment to particular development within your field of expertise. If you have attended some college, then stress the coursework you have completed. If you have not completed any college, think about enrolling in a degree program so that you can list the name of the institution and anticipated degree and graduation date on your resume. Finally, do not mention on your resume or cover letter that you don’t have a degree. This unnecessarily brings attention to an issue that can be overcome, and you may as well raise the white flag in defeat by so doing.

The following is a quick checklist and summarization to follow for each point:

Employers will overlook a degree – but only if you have the necessary experience, and you need to make sure it is adequately highlighted in your resume. Incorporate quantifiable measures (dollar amounts, percentages, comparisons of improvement), and explain how you were able to identify issues and transform them by instituting new procedures. Bottom-line results such as profits are always an attention grabber.

Highlight your unique skills and background – this can be a huge advantage over applicants who do have a degree, because you have something they may not, like a specialized skill or knowledge of a computer program. Stress the areas you do excel in, and thus shift the focus to your potential contributions.

Emphasize professional development and/or training – you may have gained more specialized knowledge relevant to the position than your competition through additional training than they possess with a degree. Highlight it!

List the college education you do have – even if it is only a couple years or classes, it is better than listing nothing. You may have compelling reasons for having not finished, and these can become a talking point in an interview. The other strategy you can use is to enroll in a degree program in order to list an anticipated graduation date. It is a useful way to incorporate key words that would otherwise be missing – without being dishonest or misleading. The worst thing you can do is make up a degree when you do not have one. It will eventually catch up with you, trust me.

Don’t bring attention to the fact you don’t have a degree – if the reader is seeing a picture being painted of a candidate who has unique skills, an excellent background and plenty of additional training and professional development, it would be throwing in the towel if you directly bring attention to the fact you don’t have a degree. Let your entire background speak for itself. Don’t present red flags.

In short, put your best foot forward, and don’t waste your time and energy on areas that will show you in a negative light. If your thoughts are negative, the following results will be too.