ComputerHunter.org |
|
|
|||
|
 |
Five Mistakes That Can Derail Your Job Search
No matter how much time and energy you invest in job seeking, critical mistakes can derail your efforts. Consider the following job search scenario. Each of the mistakes described below can put your job search off track, but all are easy to avoid. Mistake #1: Starting with a Handicap Your job search is underway. Time to get out your resume, dust it off, and add your most recent experience? Right? Wrong. A strong job search starts with strategizing, and a strong resume should be the vehicle to put your strategy into action. It isn't enough to dust off an old resume ? you need a revised resume that is tailored to a specific position and a specific employer. Ask yourself? What are the top needs and preferences of this employer? How can you address the employer's needs with specific information about your experience, strengths, and accomplishments? And how can you structure your resume to convey this key information in a quick, 30-second scan? To avoid mistake #1, assume that your resume is much more than a personal history that simply needs a little updating. Start with a strategy, and rewrite your resume so that it speaks directly to the interests and concerns of the employer who will read it. Mistake #2: Sending Less-Than-Your-Best Your resume is done, and you've written a cover letter to accompany it. Now you're ready to drop both in the mail in response to a job ad that especially interests you? Right? Wrong. Have you first made very sure that you're not sending out less than your best? Many job seekers fail to realize that both the resume and the cover letter are seen as examples of the quality of their work. This means that all aspects of overall quality are important ? including spelling, grammar, visual layout, organization, and clarity of writing. Errors will stand out like a flashing red light, and anything that makes the resume and cover letter difficult to follow may cause them to be tossed aside. To avoid mistake #2, follow this rule of thumb: Have at least two other people read both your resume and cover letter before you send them out. Tell them your job-search strategy so that they know what you want to communicate to the employer. Mistake #3: Cyber-Regrets The employer has called for an interview! In addition, he's asked that you e-mail a copy of your resume to another person in the company. That's easy ? a quick note with a Word attachment? Right? Wrong. A casual approach to the computer world can lead to embarrassing mistakes. Regrettably, e-mails usually can't be called back after clicking on the "send" button. As before, avoid mistake #3 by treating any letter as both an opportunity to convey your qualifications and a sample of your writing. Avoid common e-mail shorthand and short, terse paragraphs ? the former can come across as "unprofessional" and the latter as impersonal. Finally, to be on the safe side, print out your e-mail and attachment to make sure that all looks well in hard copy. Then send the e-mail to at least one other person, and ask them to review both its content and appearance. Mistake #4: The Missed Opportunity You've prepared for your interview and thought over all the answers you may have to supply. There's not much more you can do? Right? Wrong. Chances are that at some point in the interview the employer will turn the tables and say: "Do you have any questions?" If you respond by saying "no" or by turning to practical details ("What is your benefits package?"), this will be a missed opportunity. To avoid mistake #4, think of several questions beforehand ? questions that speak directly to the responsibilities and challenges of the job itself. Employers want to know how you think and what you would be like to work with; your questions are an opportunity to show that you can take on the challenges of the job in a constructive way. Mistake #5: Letting the Ball Drop You had a strong interview, and you're waiting to hear whether you got the job. At least now you can take a breather while you wait? Right? Wrong. Until you have a job offer, assume that it's up to you to keep the ball in the air. First and foremost, send a thank-you letter to each person who interviewed you, making reference to one or more things that were discussed. Second, follow up at regular Intervals to indicate your continued interest and keep your prospects alive. It's tempting to hang back so that you "won't be a bother" ? but the job seeker who lets the ball drop may lose out to the one who is politely and persistently enthusiastic. © 2005 Ruth Anderson Ruth Anderson is the owner of Vantage Point Coaching & Consulting and author of WRITE RESUMES WITH CONFIDENCE: How to Create Outstanding Resumes and Have the Confidence to Use Them with Success. Learn more about her products and services, including the unique INTRODUCTION TO COACHING and JOB SEARCH TUNE-UP programs, at http://www.vantagepointcoaching.com or write mailto:ruth@vantagepointcoaching.com.
Google News - Top Stories
|
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
The Inevitable Job Interview Question: ?Why Did You Leave (Are Planning To Leave) Your Last Position This is a question that you can almost count on being asked at your next interview What the interviewer wants to know is, "Why are you available?" Online Resume Formats There are several types of online resume formats that can be used when contacting potential employers. When you search for job openings online, some companies will have on their websites which online resume format is acceptable. Job Interviews -- How to Follow Up Effectively Getting a job is not just about your performance in an interview. The post-interview follow up you do has a critical role in a successful job hunt. Here's how to do it effectively. Job Search Tip for College Students Today everyone is looking for that special job that will suit their exact needs. In this day and age we all have circumstances, situations, obligations, etc. that make demands on our time and energy. In most cases students will get a job that will give them enough money to pay for the fuel for their car and a few nights out, assuming they even have a night off. Job Interviews: What to Wear It takes between seven and seventeen seconds for a person to make an impression of us and much of that impression is based on how we look. It stand to reason, then, that what we wear to job interviews will make a far greater impact on our success than anything we're likely to say once those first crucial seconds have passed. Managing Change -- Endings Are Just Doorways to New Beginnings Every May we celebrate Mother's Day-a time to tell mothers everywhere how much we love and honor them. In the midst of all the holiday revelry we should take some time to reflect on just what this day represents-the end of nine months of waiting and the passage through birth's doorway to a new beginning. Electronic Resume Writing Tips That Boost Your Interview Appointment Success Electronic Resume Writing Tips That Boost Your Interview Appointment Success Searching for Jobs Online Searching for jobs online is easier than ever, but also more confusing than ever. Any Internet user doing a job search online will find that they can choose from hundreds of national employment listing web sites and the numbers can often be staggering. When performing on online job search, it is a good idea to choose from an online employment classified web site that allows for regional searching. Localized searches can narrow down employment opportunities so that the job searcher doesn't have to search through hundreds or even thousands of posts in order to locate a handful of listings in an individual's local area. When performing an Internet job search, it is important to keep in mind that not all local employers will post job listings online, but they will post their openings in local newspapers. Most newspapers allow for an online job search in their classified sections if the newspaper is also available for viewing the Internet. 3 Resume Secrets the Pros Use You don't write a resume every day. Not even every month or year, most likely. So you can't be expected to do it flawlessly every time, right? After all, you're not a professional. Salary Negotiation: How To Earn More Money and Respect From Your Employer Despite how important fair pay is to most of us, effective salary negotiation is an often misunderstood and avoided topic. Current research indicates the average duration of a position today is 3.8 years. Over the lifespan of your career, how well you negotiate raises or starting pay will have an enormous cumulative effect on the quality of your life. 5 Resume Mistakes Telecommuters Often Make Finding a legit telecommute job can be difficult. Telecommute jobs are in high demand and hundreds if not thousands of other people are competing for the same position. Yesterdays Hero Wonder Woman makes it looks so easy. She gets up every morning, fights the good fight, calls it a day, and starts the whole process all over again. This is the way most of us begin our workday. We work hard, accomplish lots, and get up in the morning for an encore presentation. Ask For That Raise! For nine years Jeff worked for company G as an engineer. Flying airplanes was his first love. His job came in a close second place. That changed when Jeff met Judy. Their relationship quickly turned serious and they married. Stripper--Turned--Waitress Cant Leave Former Job Behind She stretches in the break room for 30 minutes before each shift. She glides around the dining room like silk wafting on the breeze. She's been known to strip off her shirt and bra to combat the heat in the kitchen. Any Job is an Honorable Job Seeing your job as an honorable job, adds more meaning and peace to your life. Also, seeing the honor in what you do now, creates an ideal foundation upon which a career change can be built. When Should You Update Your Job Skills? With the U.S. economy still slumping and unemployment numbers barely moving forward, many workers may be considering what their employment future could be like if they were to lose their job. If you're in a healthcare field, or possess computer skills, you don't have much to worry about, except explaining why you left your last job. On the other hand, if you're employed in production or manufacturing, you may be asking yourself, "when should I update my job skills?" Great Salary Negotiation Tips 11 Commandments For Smart Negotiating Building a Solid Network A client who has a fine arts degree wanted to move out of his successful career in advertising and into the real estate development business. He had already enrolled in a top notch MBA program to learn more about the field. In addition he had found work with a bank doing real estate appraisals. Get That Job: Mastering Job Interviews I've heard it said?in fact, it might well have been me that said it ? there are few things more excruciating in professional life than the job interview. Job interviews are awful! Throughout my career I have attended many and conducted many more, and the truth is whether you are the candidate or the interviewer, job interviews are challenging and confronting and difficult ? but you can not only survive but learn to be a masterful interviewee by developing an understanding of what it is the interviewer needs to see and learning to conduct yourself with clarity and confidence. Career Search from Within Seeking meaningful and fulfilling work can become a discouraging, confusing and overwhelming journey. Beware spending too much time looking for your answers outside of yourself. Ultimately, coming to know our right livelihood is the inner work of our whole being.
|
|
|
|
|
