Hello? Is it me you are looking for? Looking for work when you don't have a job can be incredibly lonely and unrewarding. So, how can you get hired?
Related: 6 Tips For Staying Sane During Your Job Search
Many employers don't send acknowledgement notices via mail, e-mail, fax, or phone like they did in the good ole days.
Applicants often spend seemingly fruitless hours sitting at home, undressed (unwashed? unshaven?) in front of computers scanning myriad job announcements and completing tedious online applications.
For variety, a resume might be e-mailed to be considered for a job opening.
Most job seekers are left to wonder if they are even being considered for any of the jobs applied to. Many employers wonder where are the good applicants are.
So where's the disconnect?
How can an applicant reach an employer who would consider him or her an ideal candidate?
The answer may be as simple as matching preferred communication method.
I have recently been contacted by two sales people who are very smart in how they have attempted to close a sale with me. If more job seekers followed their lead they might have more success in getting hired.
What impressed me?
1. Varied Communication Methods
They followed up with me via e-mail, phone, and snail mail. Neither assumed that because they preferred to communicate via e-mail that I would. Different hiring managers have different communication method preferences. It is up to the applicant to find the one that works best or keep trying all available methods until the goal is achieved in the form of an answer, interview or offer.
Of course, a barrage of calls, e-mails, faxes, and in person visits in a short period of time isn't going to help the cause too much either. Allow a day or so to pass between attempts. Pattern your timing after the pleasant drip in a zen water garden. Both women who were trying to reach me communicated in brief, pleasant ways that left me feeling guilty I had not called or e-mailed them back recently.
3. Underlined The Benefit
In each communication, I was reminded I needed their service and why. Work to be considered for employment and show the employer you will work for your paycheck. The most effective way to do this is to make sure the employer knows why you are the best match for his/her job and company.
Yes, this is sales. Sell yourself. Get hired.This post was originally published on an earlier date.
Mary Sherwood Sevinsky is a career and occupational consultant who is masters-prepared and certified. She is a business owner with nearly 20 years of experience in Corporate Management, Career Assessment & Counseling and in writing Career Articles and Educational Materials. She has worked as a corporate manager experienced in hiring, firing, and managing a staff of professionals with a multi-million dollar budget. Learn more about Mary and her services: www.life-works.info.
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by a CAREEREALISM-approved expert.
The leaves are changing, the kids are back in school, and that familiar chill is in the air. You think it's the perfect time to look for a job, and it is! But are your job search fears preventing you from making that leap?
It's not uncommon to feel lost when embarking on your job search journey. After all, school teaches us everything except how to get a job. What should you put on your resume? What questions should you ask in an interview? How can you stand out in the hiring process when there's so much competition?
Are you feeling spooked yet?
Believe it or not, there's no need to be afraid of the job search process! You can land your dream job with the right tools and strategy. You can find a job that won't give you nightmares. Here are three spooky secrets every job seeker should know as they look for a job this fall.
1. An Effective Job Search Starts With An Interview Bucket List
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Despite your fears, you've decided to take the plunge and look for a new job. You might be asking yourself, "Where do I start?" The answer is simple: start by creating an interview bucket list.
An interview bucket list is a list of 10-20 companies you'd love to work for. Are you passionate about a company's products or services? Do you feel connected to its mission? Can you relate to its values and beliefs as an organization? If you answer "yes" to any of these questions, that company probably belongs on your interview bucket list.
Once you create an interview bucket list, you'll be able to conduct a targeted job search, one with direction and a foundation upon which everything else will be built. An interview bucket list helps you focus your job search and networking strategies on the right opportunities, making it easier to get your foot in the door at one of your dream companies.
2. Your Job Application Needs To Disrupt Hiring Managers
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In order to stand out in the hiring process, you need to disrupt recruiters and hiring managers. You accomplish this by doing two things: optimizing your resume and writing a disruptive cover letter.
A well-optimized resume includes keywords from the job description. This ensures your resume gets past the ATS and into the hands of the hiring manager. Once it's in front of the hiring manager, it needs to grab and keep their attention. Quantifying your work experience—adding numbers to your bullet points—will make you stand out from other applicants. Hiring managers will want to know more about you and your accomplishments, and that's how you land a phone interview.
Before that, though, a hiring manager will read your cover letter. To disrupt them, you need to write a disruptive cover letter (obviously!). A disruptive cover letter gives you the opportunity to tell a story about why you feel connected to the company you're applying for. It's that storytelling aspect that will stand out to hiring managers and compel them to pick up the phone and give you a call.
3. Employers Hire You Based On 3 Things
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You can't get hired unless you know what employers are assessing you on in the interview process. While your skills and expertise matter, companies actually hire for three things: personality, aptitude, and experience (in that order).
Most job seekers don't realize how important it is to demonstrate their personality, aptitude, and experience in an interview. You could have the right experience for a job, but if the hiring manager doesn't think your personality is a good fit for the company culture, you probably won't get a job offer.
Make sure you demonstrate your soft skills and learn how to answer behavioral interview questions to prove you're the best candidate for the job you're applying for, not just the most qualified.
Want To Learn More Job Search Secrets?
As you look for a job this fall, it might be helpful to know some more spooky secrets so you can get over your job search fears and finally take control of your career.
We know the job search process can be scary. However, it's important to get clear on what you want to do next and focus on conducting a strategic job search, or what we refer to at Work It DAILY as job shopping. This is the only way to effectively market yourself to employers. If they can't see exactly where and how you add value, then that's going to decrease your chances of landing the job.
The competition is fierce, and there are a lot of factors that are out of your control. But the one factor you can control is your job search strategy, the tools and tactics you use to land a job.
If you want to learn the secrets to conducting a strategic job search, sign up for our Job Search Bootcamp, a two-hour, on-demand video workshop that comes with a free workbook.
In this video workshop, you'll learn:
How to use backchanneling to get directly to hiring managers.
The secret to using a connection story to stand out against the competition.
How social media can be your secret weapon to get job interviews.
The resume format that is getting job seekers more job interviews.
