Monthly Archives: June 2012

Why is my résumé not selling me?

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 Here is a question that I hear a lot:  “Why did I not get the interview for that position?… I would have been perfect for it?”  Recently, I had two candidates where I totally had to agree! In both instances, the candidates described strong experience that met the job requirements extremely well. Yet, when I looked at the candidates’ résumés, they did not address such strengths at all. The employer could not see their value. So, I could see why it did result in an interview. In fact, I find this to be a fairly common challenge for many job seekers.  

In addition, many people will tell me things like: I was awarded “top sales manager of the year,” or “employee of the month” 6 times in one year, or recognized as the “fastest-rising salesman” or whatever…..you get the point. Again, when I review their résumé, these recognitions are either not mentioned at all or they are there but placed in a very unnoticeable way.  These job seekers are not showcasing times when they are at the top of their game. Why would you NOT place such a noteworthy award, nomination, or recognition of some sort FRONT and CENTER?!

 Your strengths and highly esteemed accolades should jump off the page of the résumé and GRAB the attention of every recruiter or employer who sees it. You earned it…use any honorable mention to demonstrate your value and create desire! That is one of the secrets to getting your résumé to sell you in a more powerful way (more secrets to come!). Hope that helps!

 

 

Summer is a great time to get your “mojo” back!

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We are heading into summer when most people here are the east coast are excited about sunny weather, doing fun things with more daylight hours, and just plain feeling good. But there are many people who do not feel so excited – job seekers. With summer coming, many of you may be nervous because hiring tends to slow down during this period and worries just multiply.

 

Many job seekers have been out of work for a long time. After a while, it is understandable that we start to question our worth and feel self-esteem going down. When we meet others, this low morale comes through. It may be subtle, but employers feel it. Among other things, they look for passion and confidence….that low energy may result in hesitation on the part of employers. .So how do we get our “mojo” back? How do we increase our confidence when we feel kind of low?

 

Well, the summer can actually be the perfect time to change course and refocus energy. With the usual summer slowdown, it affords the opportunity to take a step back and recharge. Here are a few ideas to consider:

 

  • Take a course to increase your knowledge or skills
  • Learn something new – just for fun
  • Read industry magazines to keep up in your field
  • Read books that are in the “Top Ten”
  • Get involved in more fitness activities
  • Spend time concentrated on your family
  • Attack something that you’ve been wanting to clean up at home
  • Think of some ideas to add to this list!

 

Taking a step back and going forward full-speed ahead with some new activities and goals over the summer can make you feel better about yourself. That is the first step in gaining more confidence and increasing your overall self-esteem. Give yourself time to do this. I believe that once you do, you can then get back to your job search with some new energy that is sure to be felt by those employers. So, how do you plan to get your mojo back?

 

Is Your Job Search Stalled?

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Some job seekers are not as committed to a job search as they are to a job. On a “real job”, people set goals, make “to do” lists, etc., which aid in achieving those goals and ensuring that one is accountable for getting the work done.  One way to increase your success in a job search, is to focus on turning your job search into your “job.”  Try setting some goals and maintaining a “to do” list. Keeping an organized system is critical for pushing you forward and for identifying next steps needed to succeed.

It will also help make it easier if you break the job search up into manageable components. Establish a 30-day and 60-day plan, including weekly goals that are posted where you can see them. Create a way to organize and track your contacts, companies you’ve interviewed with, and the status of anything to do with your search.  (One FREE and excellent resource for tracking this info can be found with www.jibberjobber.com). So, get organized, establish goals, and get that search in motion again!!