I Got a Contact Name. Now What???

People often tell me they were on LinkedIn, or went to a networking group, or met someone when they were out-and-about and got a name of a potential contact for their job search, but don’t know how to reach them.

“What good is the name without their phone number or email address? It doesn’t do me much good if I can’t connect with them!”

It’s great if you are given a phone number and/or email address with a name, however, with a little creativity and initiative you can certainly find other ways to get in touch. Here are some ideas and techniques to make those connections:

~ Call the main number! Often people forget the simplest and most obvious solution to getting in touch with a new contact… call the company and ask for them! It’s ideal to have a direct-line phone number to the person you’re trying to reach. However, if you don’t, it’s generally pretty easy to find the main company phone number (either from their website online, a phone book, or calling 411), call and ask for the person by name. Generally a phone receptionist won’t put you through to anyone if you ask a general question like “May I speak to the Accounting Manager, please?” However, if you ask for someone by name, they will always put you through. Even if the person works at another company facility than the one you are calling, they generally have the overall company directory and can put you directly through to that person. Call and ask for them by name.

Additionally, if you call after business hours, many companies have an automated answering system with a company directory that will often tell you the extension of the person you are trying to connect to. That’s often a great way to gain the direct-line number of someone.

~ Google! As with so many things… Google is a tremendous resource to find contact information. More than half of the time I'm trying to find contact information, I’m able to do it by searching their name and company name through Google. If, for example, I’m trying to find John Mansky at XYZ Company… I simply search: "John Mansky” “XYZ Company”

I make sure to put his name in quotes to avoid unwanted results like John Smith and Bill Mansky

Scanning down the list of results, I often find some document or site that has their phone number and/or email address. If there are too many results, I may try to narrow the search by trying his name with their web domain. For example: “John Mansky” “xyzco.com”

Their email address is likely to include their web domain, so if the address is “john.mansky@xyzco.com” the search is likely to find it.

If that doesn’t work, I may do a search to find ANY email address at that company to discover what their standard email format is. For example, I may simply search:
email “xyzco.com”

If someone else’s email address pops up that is in a format of 'firstname.lastname@xyzco.com’, for example, I know it’s a very high likelihood that my contact’s address is in the same format. If it’s wrong, their email server will simply bounce the email back to me and no one is the wiser. If it does bounce back, I simply try other common formats like:

firstinitiallastname@xyzco.com
firstname_lastname@xyzco.com
firstinitial_lastname@xyzco.com
…or other combinations.

~ Check emails4corporations! Another great resource to help you find the standard email format for the company where your contact is employed is emails4corporations. Someone has compiled a tremendous list of standard email formats for companies all over the country.

You can find them at: http://sites.google.com/site/emails4corporations

Enter the company name in the search box at the top right corner of the homepage and it will show you the company, email format, address, and phone number. It doesn’t cover every company, however, is a great help if yours is included.

~ Try JigSaw.com! JigSaw.com is probably the worlds largest ‘Rolodex’. It includes the business card information of millions of people. It rarely lets me down and is the last resort resource for me when trying to find someone’s contact information. You can either use it by paying for the service, or for free on a give & take point system. So it take a little money or some effort on your part. However, for me as a recruiter, or you as a job seeker, I believe it’s a very worthwhile resource when you need contact information you can’t seem to find anywhere else.

~ Paid Services. Certainly there are a number of additional paid services (Spoke, ZoomInfo, and others) available online that can provide the information for you as well, however, I’m generally a big fan of “FREE”. It’s pretty rare that I can’t find someone’s contact information through one of the means listed above. Try those and then depending on how badly you need it, a paid service may be worth it.

Generally, I don’t recommend contacting someone directly through LinkedIn’s system. Many people receive a lot of communications through there and have become conditioned to treat them like Spam. It’s generally best to reach them by phone, a professional voicemail, or email first. However, if none of those works, as a last resort, you have nothing to lose by trying the LinkedIn contact system as well.

As always, make sure your communication is professional, well prepared, and succinct!
You can gain more help with that by reading Keys to a great email in your job search! or What to do in an effective networking call!

Be creative, take the initiative, and find the way to connect with those job search contacts!

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Author:

Harry Urschel has over 20 years experience as a technology recruiter in Minnesota. He currently operates as e-Executives, writes a blog for Job Seekers called The Wise Job Search, and can be found on Twitter as @eExecutives.

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10 Confidence Boosting Tips for Interviewers

Job interviews can be intimidating and nerve-racking in a crippling way. But allowing your personality to show through –even if you’re faking it—is the only way to take charge of your interview and have any hope of landing the job. No matter what kinds of qualifications you have, employers want to sit down with an individual who can conduct themselves professionally and charismatically, and if you can’t even hold yourself together to keep up your side of the conversation, you may go unnoticed altogether. Instead, prepare to manage the interview session in a way that puts you in control and limits any awkward moments. Here are 10 confidence-boosting tips to help you do just that.

1. Understand the importance of an in-person interview. An interview is your opportunity to brand yourself in front of your potential boss and really lay down the line for how you’d like to be treated in the office. Don’t come across as cocky, but understand that acting meek and embarrassed during your interview will immediately make your boss feel like he or she can get away with dictating your every move.

2. Smile the very first chance you get. A warm, natural smile exudes confidence and sets the tone for a professional but friendly encounter.

3. Practice your handshake. A good handshake can be exhilarating and empowering, but an awkward fumbling or weak handshake dashes any hope of a dazzling first impression. Practice ahead of time so that it comes naturally.

4. Research the company. Be ready to talk about the company and position you’re applying for by doing a little web research ahead of time.

5. Come with questions. If you have a list of questions to ask, you’ll be ready in case of an awkward silence.

6. Realize that they probably already like you. The very fact that you’re even sitting in the interview seat means that someone liked your resume and believed you’d make a good candidate for the job.

7. Dress professionally. Wear something that makes you look professional and neat but is still comfortable. Something that’s too tight or too bulky will make you feel uneasy. A good tip is to wear something you’ve already worn few times, so you won’t be caught off guard by any wardrobe malfunctions.

8. Sit up straight. You want to appear alert and confident, so sit upright in your chair with your hands folded. Leaning back to far will make you appear arrogant, while hunching over will make you seem nervous and self-conscious.

9. Value the opportunity for what it is. The more you value the interview as its own learning experience and opportunity to practice your interviewing your skills, the more natural and confident you’ll feel asking questions and talking with the interviewer.

10. Review your resume. You may take it for granted that you know everything on your resume since it’s your experience, but understand that all the questions your interviewer will have for you are going to come directly from that resume. Take a few minutes to look over the skills and experience you’ll be expected to discuss.

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Guest Expert:

Rose Jensen writes about the best online universities. She welcomes your feedback at Rose.Jensen28@yahoo.com.

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How to Apply Perfectionism to Your Career and Life

In business school, if not earlier, we've all learned about Maslow's Hierarchy of Human Needs, and we've been told that what's called "self-actualization" is the highest, or rather, most pressing human need, on which all other "lower" needs serve as only building blocks. While Maslow's theories have earned their fair share of criticism, I'd like to defer instead to a broader set of ideas in moral philosophy collectively called "perfectionism" and then discuss how these ideas can be successfully implemented in your daily life as well as your career.

I'm sure we've heard our friends, family, or perhaps even ourselves referred to as "perfectionists," with little thought to what that may actually mean. The image of the perfectionist in modern society is often marred with a hint of criticism. We think of perfectionists as compulsive, almost neurotic. This image should perhaps be more rightfully attributed to a person who struggles with some form of obsessive compulsive disorder, and it is not the image to which I am referring when I say "perfectionist." To give you a basic idea of perfectionism as a philosophy, Wikipedia offers the following: "…perfectionism is the persistence of will in obtaining the optimal quality of spiritual, mental, physical, and material being." Sounds tough, huh? Impossible, you say? Well of course, attaining perfection is certainly not possible in one lifetime, but a philosophical perfectionist completely understands this. The key word here is "persistence."

Of course, what counts as perfection will inevitably be based on what an individual values most, but in terms of your career, perfectionism is simply striving to do your very best, every single day, no matter what the size or import of your task at hand is. Surely, the bigger picture does matter, but the successful completion of the optimal life is all in the small things. The devil may be in details, as they say, but so is god, the personal god in each of us that longs to order our lives by standards of excellence.

Although it can be difficult to appreciate the necessity of doing the small things right, I usually defer to my favorite sport, golf. When I focused too much on the outcome of the total score—I'd constantly be adding up figures as I'd step up to the tee box—I'd get hung up on the big picture, and my final score would suffer. However, one day I tried something different. I focused on only each single shot, and told myself that this one shot was the only shot I'd have to take. When I placed greater importance on individual shots—on the small things—I noticed I was doing better on each hole. Still I didn't add up scores. I just marked the number of shots per hole, threw the scorecard back in my bag and moved on. By the time I finished up on the eighteenth hole, I had tallied the totals and—not kidding—it was the best round in my life.

In the final analysis, perfectionism is not an end goal, but a state of mind. If you strive for a systematic approach to perfection, one that keeps in mind the details with a steady, reasonable approach to the big picture, then you will find that unexpected aspects of your life—career and personal—will begin to fall into place as if by magic.

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Guest Expert:

Angela Martin writes on job search topics at Job Search Websites. She welcomes your comments at her email angela.martin77@gmail.com.

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Body Language: Be Careful What You Don't Say

What your body language says is often more important than what you say verbally, especially when the two conflict. When they’re in sync, your movements are a reflection of what you’re thinking and what you’re feeling: your conscious and your unconscious. But when they aren’t, the unconscious prevails.
Why? Because while people will make themselves conscious of their words, few are conscious of their feelings and how that translates into body language, much less what that body language is saying. And in an interview, that can result in sending a message opposite what you intend.

A person who was recently fired or laid off is a good example of this dichotomy, especially when the termination takes place for reasons that have little to do with any situation the individual instigated. You did nothing to cause the severance, but you feel responsible anyway.

Since few job seekers know how to put a termination in perspective and handle it appropriately, it comes out how they move and how they conduct themselves. Almost every action is an apology. You knock gently on the door when the administrative assistant says, “Mr. Jackson can see you now.” You not only ask permission to sit, but you ask which chair. You either over explain or under answer.

Instead of speaking smoothly in a relaxed manner, your voice is too loud or can’t be heard. You say “um” or “ah” at the beginning and in the middle of your sentences. Everything about you screams insecure, even though you’re managing to articulate your accomplishments.

The result is that the hiring authority is puzzled as to how you managed to achieve so much, when your manner isn’t conducive to making things happen. It leaves him with a question about you. Hiring authorities don’t like to be left with questions; they want to be 100% confident of who they hire. So you’re out of the picture.

But this conflict doesn’t only occur with those have been dismissed by their employer. It can also happen when someone doesn’t have a degree, but has excelled in their career and frequently ends up competing with those who do. Or when you’ve been unemployed a long time, and you really need a job. Or if you’ve had your eye on being part of this company and finally you’ve snagged an interview. Or if you’re just plain insecure.
There’s a plethora of articles that list hundreds of body language cues you should pay attention to. But that’s like trying to learn the different interview styles and how to respond to each one. It’s a waste of time. You’ll spend so much time trying to remember what to do, how to do it, when to do it, if what you’re doing is correct or not, that it becomes difficult to focus on selling yourself and learning if the company is compatible with who you are and what you want.

It starts with your head. If you don’t feel confident, then stop thinking you aren’t. Find the reasons why you’re an asset to a company. List your skills and contributions. Put together a sales pitch on yourself, and then take it to heart. Actions mirror thoughts and thoughts mirror actions. When you’re thinking confidently, you behave confidently and vice versa.

At the same time, you can program one to follow the other. Pay attention to yourself, what you’re feeling and what’s going on around you. If you notice yourself shuffling in through the company door, pick your head up, put a smile on your face, and walk into the office as if you belong there, because you do. You have an interview, and they’re expecting you.
An interview is a sales presentation. You’re the product, and the hiring authority is the buyer. If you’re communicating that you’re not good enough to be hired, why would a company think differently?

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Guest Expert:

Judi Perkins, the How-To Career Coach, was a recruiter for 22 years, consulting with hundreds of hiring authorities throughout the hiring process. She’s seen over 500,000 resumes, knows how hiring authorities think and how they hire. As a result she understands and teaches what other coaches don’t: why the typical strategies in finding a job so often fail, what to do instead, and why. She’s been on PBS’s Frontline, will be in the May issue of Smart Money magazine, and has been quoted frequently in numerous articles for CareerBuilder, MSN Careers, Yahoo Hot Jobs, and the New York Times, among others. She’s also been featured as an expert in numerous career books. Sign up for her free newsletter at http://www.findtheperfectjob.com/!

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Words and Music: The Secret to Writing a Great Resume

Too many old school job seekers believe that on their resume employers are interested in a summary of their qualifications, experience and job responsibilities. What they forget, or were never taught, is that as seen through the eyes of qualified HR or private recruiters and decision makers a laundry list of key words and on-the-job responsibilities are synonymous with your possessing the minimum qualifications to qualify for a new position. With the competition being what it is today, offering up only this information is not enough.

Demonstrating that you have the 2-15 years of work experience the company desires in a certain function says nothing about how well you've performed. You may have been performing at a minimal skill level for all 15 years or at the highest level of competency for 3 or 4 years. The people who matter can not determine how talented you are based on equating the number of years of experience to competence.

If you have been reading my blogs you know by now that employers are more interested in knowing about your body of work and how it relates to the job at hand, and about the individual accomplishments that will validate your candidacy.

This premise is borne out every day all over the web, and especially in the blogosphere and on Linked-In discussions. All of us new school thought leaders are telling our clients and readers that qualifying and quantifying your past in relation to an employer’s needs and desires is the # 1 difference maker on a resume, and qualifying and quantifying specific accomplishments in terms of bottom line $ / % results is a great way to do this.

You need to realize that hiring managers envision prior achievements in a similar situation as a predicator of what they might expect from you in the future, while experience and key words tell people only about what you've DONE in the past.

However, not all accomplishments matter to a hiring manager. What you consider impressive accomplishments for past employers will not impress prospective decision makers unless they accentuate proven solutions to problem they are looking to solve.
Still in the dozens of accomplishment based resumes that are emailed to me every week for a free resume critique I find the presentation of accomplishments and vital supporting information as presented by a professional and an amateur are as different as day is to night.

In the movie Eddie and the Cruisers there is a dialogue I love as Eddie Wilson, the writer and band leader tries to explain how to play a love ballad he wrote to band members who want to play it too fast and too sloppy. "Words and Music man - Words and Music... without both it aint worth playing."

The same holds true for a resume. Putting down the correct thoughts is not enough. Just as every person is different, so too should the resume that introduces them be. Just like a song, you need to know how to pace a resume. This means you need to know where to strategically place information, the order in which it must appear, and it must have the perfect combination of words and actions convincingly tell the reader what they want to hear.

The bottom line for me is a resume must paint a masterful picture with colorful imagery, while telling a mesmerizing ‘Hero Story’ that resonates with the readers. So as you write your resume remember what Eddie said; ‘Words and Music man.” Without both your resume is not worth submitting.

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Author:

Perry Newman, CPC CSMS is a nationally recognized executive resume writer, career coach, AIPC certified recruiter and SMMU certified social media strategist known for his ability to help his clients get results. You can view his sample resumes at http://www.perrynewman.com, and email him your resume at perry@perrynewman.com for FREE resume critique.

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10 Secrets for Nailing the Job Interview

I am grateful for the opportunity to share with you the following career advice from Pat Williams, senior vice president of the NBA's Orlando Magic. Pat co-founded the Orlando Magic in 1987 and is one of America's top motivational, inspirational, and humerous speakers. He had addressed thousands of executives in organizations ranging from Fortune 500 companies and national assocations to universities and nonprofits. Pat and his wife, Ruth, are the parents of 19 children, including 14 from four nations.

Pat Williams is the author of over 55 books including the recently released Nail It! 10 Secrets for Winning the Job Interview, written with Peggy Matthews Rose.

1. What inspired a sports executive and father of nineteen to write a book on job interviewing?

Life is all about being prepared for what’s next, Brent. Whether you’re an eighteen-year-old heading out on your own for the first time or an 81-year-old looking for ways to stay in the game, we are always looking for our next job. Wouldn’t you agree? As a dad, I’ve seen more than my share of wobbly beginnings. As a sports executive, I’ve seen stellar careers ended overnight, lives in desperate need of a new beginning.In addition to my wonderful and often challenging family, I’ve been blessed to work in professional sports my entire adult life. And I can say that nowhere is the demand for high caliber employees greater, both on the court and behind the scenes. So it’s just made sense to me to study what makes one candidate stand out over others. Winning jobs is really an elimination contest in so many ways. When no one is keeping score, what defines a winner? Over the years I’ve had many opportunities to share the insights I’ve gathered one-on-one. And now with the competition for jobs higher than it’s been in decades, I believe it’s time to get those tips into more people’s hands. That’s why I wrote this book.As a dad, I can say that the challenges of raising 19 children, many of them from international cultures, and helping them find their way in the professional world, has been often daunting. By now they’ve all begun charting their own roadmaps, but a book like this one would have come in handy for me then—and it’s a great resource for them now.

2. You've been involved in professional sports for over 40 years. How did you get your career started in that industry?

As a kid I was so blessed to have a dad who loved sports and who inspired me to love sports too. Baseball especially was a big part of my life and I aspired to be a major league catcher. I was good enough to play in the minor leagues but not good enough to make the “bigs.” So at age 24 I became the general manager of the Spartanburg Phillies. I figured I’d stay in baseball, but the next year, 1968, baseball legend Bill Veeck, with whom I’d been blessed to develop a close relationship, recommended me as general manager of the Chicago Bulls—and my NBA career was launched from that moment on. What a great ride it has been! Parents, if your kids are inclined to love sports, I can’t urge you more strongly to encourage them in every way you can. Sports offers the best training field for life I can think of. And if it’s a job you’re looking for, sports involvement offers a great way to make connections that lead to satisfying careers.

3. You've outlined 10 secrets for nailing job interviews. What information can you share about each?

These “secrets” were culled over the years by top human resources professionals and represent the qualities they look for in a successful job candidate. In reviewing them, I found they are practical life principals as well. They include:

1. Networking – Getting your next job is less about who you know than it is about who knows what you know. Start where you are and widen your circles of influence. Get involved in professional organizations, social networks, affinity groups—go anywhere you can meet people in your area of expertise who would be glad to know what you can do for them. I’ve always said that life is about “collecting people,” and nowhere is this truer than in our professional lives.
2. Being ready for the questions an interviewer is likely to ask you – and the best way to do that is to have a life plan. Know where it is you are headed, what you want to “be when you grow up.” When you have a clear sense of your purpose and your goals, you can see the mile markers along the journey that each job interview represents. Beyond that, study sample interviews and do your homework regarding the companies with which you plan to interview.
3. Being prepared – In all my years as a speaker, I’ve found that at least 90% of each event is what happens in advance. If I’m not prepared to go up there and address the audience, they’re not going to be happy with me. The same is true when we go in for the job interview. In these highly competitive days, we’ve got to see it as auditioning for American Idol: only the top performers are likely to be called back. So before you speak to anyone, whether in person or on the phone, have a solid hold on what you’re going to say and how you will say it.
4. Display professionalism – Here’s an elusive word, “professionalism.” What does it really mean? We spend this chapter helping you get a grip on this concept, from what not to wear, to developing a mindset, to seeing professionalism as a standard of living. If a world-class career is what you’re after, it’s critical to dress, think, and live as a professional, 24/7.
5. Exuding self-confidence – If you’re naturally shy or insecure, this one might seem the most challenging of our tips. But the winning candidate is the one who knows she knows what she knows, and can confidently communicate that image. In this chapter, I tell the story of my son Alan, who did NOT want to hear Dad talk to him about leadership. Then came the day I picked him up from school and he excitedly told me he’d been selected captain of his basketball team. “Well guess what that makes you, Alan?” I said. He thought a moment and squeaked, “A leader?” Turned out to be one of the best things that could have happened in his life. It’s all about believing in yourself. So if you have any doubts, I’m telling you right now that I believe in you! You should too, for that is the person most likely to win the job interview.
6. Exhibiting communication skills – Harvard Business School Professor John Kotter tells us, “Without credible communication and a lot of it, the hearts and minds of others are never captured.” It may not seem to you that this is your mission in the job interview, but it is! Your goal is to convince the hiring manager that you are the person they’ve been looking for all their lives. That means you’ve got to sound like the right candidate when you speak and that anything you’ve written—from your resume to an email—to that individual reflects a polished, confident, professional demeanor. If you need to, join a group like Toastmasters to improve your speaking skills or take a business writing class.
7. Radiating energy and enthusiasm – Have you ever spoken to someone who seemed to blend in to the wallpaper? Perhaps you’ve forgotten the experience because that person was so, well, forgettable. Don’t let that be you! The way to stand out from the crowd is to do so with energy. Think Richard Simmons here. You don’t have to jump around or dress in strange gym shorts—please, don’t do that! But you do need to “look alive,” as they say. I’ve found the best way to make sure you radiate energy is through choosing a healthy lifestyle. Eat right, exercise daily. Read inspiring books. Become the person anyone would be proud to hire. It really is a mind game, in that it begins and ends with how you think of yourself.
8. Revealing your extraversion – Some of us are naturally outgoing, while others are like that guy we just talked to, Wally Wallpaper. But we can all practice being more outgoing. My writing partner in this book, Peggy Matthews Rose, remembered her first job working in retail when she was asked to greet “perfect strangers.” The requirement did not feel natural to her, but in time she was able to turn on the smile and make the customers feel welcome. That’s what it’s all about. It’s about being the best you that you can be on behalf of your employer.
9. Being a person of integrity – In a world that often seems to be turning upside down before our very eyes—a world full of corruption, dishonesty, uncertainty, and often fear—we are hungry for men and women of integrity. People who say what they mean and mean what they say. People who are honest, undivided, and trustworthy. People who can be counted on to always do the right thing. It may not always seem like it when you read the headlines, but that is the kind of person every company wants representing them. That is the person who will change his or her world.
10. Revealing your creativity – No matter what the position is you’re interviewing for, every company appreciates creativity. Don’t think that’s you? You might surprise yourself if you just try. It begins with realizing that you are a uniquely created individual, made in the image of a creative God. We imitate him every day, whether we know it or not. So look for creative ways to express yourself in the interview. It might be through a portfolio, or you might be like the guy who sent the Magic office pizza with his resume printed inside the box! The possibilities are only limited by your imagination.

Those are the top ten, Brent, but of course—every game needs a free throw. So we added what I think is one of the most important tips:

Be yourself – And to do that, you first need to see yourself as you really are. Who are you? Try stepping outside yourself and sit for a few minutes on the other side of that interview desk. Would you hire you? If you’re out of work right now or looking to transition into a new position soon, take some time first to figure out who you are and what it is you really want to do. If there is any way possible, go after your dream job. And then be realistic. You may not get that job. But if you don’t it won’t be because you didn’t give it all you’ve got. It may simply be that it’s not the right time for you, or there is something better down the road. At the end of the day, the most important thing is to be a person you respect and someone others can look up to. If you can nail that, you are way ahead of the game.

4. Over 1.4 million college-educated individuals will enter the U.S. labor force this year. What advice can you offer professionals who are just trying to get their foot in the door?

Be persistent. Never give up. I can’t think of better advice than that. It’s so easy to become discouraged in this highly competitive world we live in. Don’t let the gloom of a failure or two settle in on your soul. Get back out there in the game and keep knocking on those doors. One day a door will yield to your knocking and it will lead you to just the place you need to be in that moment. But when you get there, don’t rest on your laurels. Keep growing and stretching. Keep networking and keep on knocking.

5. In conversations I've had with unemployed experienced managers, they are questioning whether to accept significantly lower salaries or keep looking for the right opportunities. What are your thoughts?

That’s a tough one, Brent, given our current climate. My gut response is to say “go for the gold”—keep looking for that right place. But ultimately it does come down to putting food on the table and making the monthly rent. We must keep in mind that all work is honorable, so we shouldn’t have the mind set that, well, that job is beneath me. If it offers you an opportunity to grow and become a better person along with making those monthly bills, you might need to accept the lower salary for a while. Remember that all things come to pass. So roll with the lumps when you have to but don’t get stuck in them. In other words—take the lower salary for now if you must. Be practical, for goodness sake! But keep your eye on home plate. Never stop looking.

6. Nationwide unemployment is approximately 10% while overall underemployment is closer to 20%. If you could offer one final tip for job seekers, what would it be?

I’ll go back to my last remarks if I may and say—folks, it’s a tough world out there and very tough times we are facing. There is no doubt about that and no easy answers. We all want the dream job, the killer career, the fourth floor corner office. But now might not be the right time for it. I fully believe God has a plan for each of our lives. But we must be patient with the process and face facts when they are staring at us. Be patient, keep looking, stay strong. Never compromise your integrity. Do what you must. Keep growing. Keep looking. As Phil Jackson might say to his team, “Move the ball. Make the shots.” Stay focused and you’ll win in the long run.

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Author:

Brent Peterson, PMP, MS, MBA, is the founder of Interview Angel Inc, a company that offers a comprehensive guide and toolkit for job seekers to use in interviews. Interview Angel is in use at universities, corporations, non-profit agencies, and local governments.

Discover customer testimonials, blog posts, upcoming events, and media interviews at http://www.interviewangel.com/. Brent is also in LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com/in/brentpeterson) and on Twitter (@InterviewAngel).

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Beyond the Resume: Part 2

Using a Personal Profile to Connect With A Prospective Employer

In today’s challenging job market, job seekers have to make every effort to go above and beyond what is normally expected, to differentiate themselves in the eyes of the hiring manager. No matter how hard you try, attempting to differentiate yourself solely through your resume is extremely difficult.

Consider creating a “Credentials Package” for your prospective employer to consider, which can include other components in addition to your resume. One additional component is the Personal Profile. The Personal Profile outlines in a single page, for you initially—and ultimately for your prospective employer—all of your unique personal qualities, including your passions, hobbies and special interests, personal development activities, family, and other unique or interesting qualities about yourself.

To highlight the 5 reasons why the Personal Profile is important:

1. You are more than your “work.”
   You are so much more than what could possibly show up on a résumé. If others prefer to be considered, judged, and selected based solely on their work experience, let them. You want to make it personal.
   
2. It’s all about relationships, and it’s always personal.
   If you want that new career opportunity, you have to convince your prospective employer that you bring positive personal qualities to the work and team environment.
   
3. It’s all about differentiation.
   A hiring manager may have difficulty choosing between two candidates with similar work experiences, but the personal information you provide will always be unique and different.
   
4. Let them know now who you are.
   You want your prospective employer to know exactly what—and who—they are getting. Even if you have the opportunity to meet with your prospective employer, you usually don’t get into this topic during an interview. Why should they wait until six months after you’re hired to find out what a great and interesting person you are? Let them know now.
   
5. Your personal qualities are as important as your work experience.
   Your unique personal qualities determine how you will approach a given job, how you will interact with others to meet objectives, and ultimately how successful you will be.

In addition to aiding the employer in understanding who you are—before the interview even begins, the Personal Profile is also extremely important in helping you determine if a given opportunity is right for you. By identifying and understanding all of your personal qualities, it will help you evaluate and select career opportunities best suited for you, and will help you to answer that typical and often challenging “Tell me about yourself” question you often hear during the interview process.

Add a Personal Profile to your credentials package today. Start to develop a personal relationship with your prospective employer, before the interview even begins.

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Guest Expert:

Over a 25-year period, Dan Burns has realized a successful career as a corporate manager, entrepreneur, educator, business owner, and now as a full-time writer.

Prior to writing, Dan served as owner and Executive Vice President of a national technical and management consulting company, providing consulting and employee placement services to Fortune 500 companies and helping people successfully obtain their next great career opportunity.

In May 2009, Dan published his first book, The First 60 Seconds: Win The Job Interview Before It Begins. Through his book and speaking engagements, Dan is helping thousands of people to be more successful in today’s challenging job marketplace.

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Resume Advice for New Grads

Now that it’s graduation season, I’ve recently reviewed resumes for several new graduates. It was clear to me from looking at these documents that many people just entering the workforce feel unsure about which rules still apply for writing resumes today. Here are some tips for those who find themselves in this situation.

What Resume Length Is Appropriate?

Conventional wisdom says that resumes should be just one page. Today, many people with years of work experience find that they can’t condense everything onto one page. That’s perfectly all right—it’s more important to make sure you include appropriate keywords and accomplishments than to stick to one page. However, if you do need two pages to fully detail your experience, make sure that your most important and relevant experience is included on the first page. The one-page rule arose because of the perception that hiring managers wouldn’t take the time to review more than one page of a resume—and some today will tell you that they still don’t.

Regardless of how many pages are appropriate to capture your experience, your resume should fill the entire page on each page of the document. So if you go with two pages of experience, make sure you have two full pages. Most recent graduates will probably not have acquired enough activities, experiences, or jobs to fill more than two pages. One exception would be a curriculum vitae for someone who had been in school for many years obtaining a Ph.D. A resume for a Ph.D. student may require more room in order to include publications and/or presentations.

How to Date Your Experience

Another trend I’ve noticed on new graduate resumes is people indicating in which semester they held a leadership position or an internship. Because companies don’t operate on a semester system, it may look more professional to date your experience with months and/or years.

Resume Objective or Career Summary?

Lastly, most student/new graduate resumes I’ve seen include an objective statement at the top rather than a summary of the job seeker’s qualifications. Companies would rather see what a candidate offers them than what the candidate is looking for. For a former student who is entering the workforce, quantifiable achievements might include things like: “Obtained at least a 3.5 GPA during every semester of college while simultaneously working 20 hours per week as a reservations hostess at a busy restaurant”. Or, “Planned a fund-raising event that raised $2,000 for a national charitable organization”. Today’s college students are multitaskers who are generally involved in things other than just their classes. Use those experiences to sell yourself as a skilled candidate—even if you’re just beginning to acquire those skills.

For a free resume analysis submit your resume via e-mail to info@greatresumesfast.com or view professionally-written resume samples at http://www.greatresumesfast.com.

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Author:

Jessica Holbrook is an expert resume writer, career and personal branding strategist, author, speaker and President/CEO of Great Resumes Fast. She creates high-impact, best-in-class, resumes and cover letters that win interviews. For a free resume analysis visit http://www.greatresumesfast.com/ or for a free phone consultation call 1.800.991.5187.

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5 Easy Steps to Finding Passion

Many people, particularly as they accumulate years of work experience, find they have a growing desire to put passion into their life and career. My observation about why this takes place is that as we grow in life experiences a lot of the excitement or “newness” diminishes. We simply have been there and done that enough that our threshold for what will rock our world continues to go up. It’s increasingly harder to get that same level of excitement.

As we recognize that this element of excitement is missing, it can trigger us to go in search of something we can feel passionate about. We often look around us seeing others in careers that bring them incredible joy – something they are passionate about – and we want that same feeling for ourselves. We remember how it feels to have something in our lives that consumes our thoughts and makes the hours flow quickly. The biggest issue with going in search of your life and career passion is: HOW do you discover your passion?

All too many people think that your passion just comes to you like a thunderbolt from the heavens. In other words, we think for some people it just magically appears. This leaves the rest of us to feel unlucky because the magic hasn’t happened. Finding your passion is something we all have access to. It might seem magical, but it is simply a process, like most things in our lives, and requires turning off the TV and taking some actions.

Here are 5 simple steps that will lead you to your passion:

Start first with what you already know you’re interested in. Sit down and write out a list of all the things you have some interest in trying, but never have. Your whole process requires self honesty and it starts here. Don’t list anything just because of someone else’s interests. If you aren’t genuinely interested, don’t list it. It’s also important to create this master list as it will live on perhaps for the rest of your life. As you try things on the list, you may eliminate some and add others.

• You must realize that this is a discovery and experimentation process. You need to proceed with a certain playfulness and curiosity. You are going to try these things, probably for the first time, and you have no idea how they will turn out. In fact, you need to assume that while you may enjoy many of those activities, most of them will not turn into a passion.
• Because most of the activities you try will not turn into a true passion, you need to develop self-patience with no self-judgment. Have fun with the process. Be open to new discoveries. You will find your passion, just be patient and trust the process. Don’t criticize yourself if it doesn’t happen immediately.
• You do not need to limit your list to only things that seem related to a job. When you find a passion, you may well be able to turn it into an income opportunity, if you choose.

Make goals. You can’t just make a list. You have to take action. Like all great goals, they have the characteristics of 1) being specific 2) having a time for completion 3) and are actionable. A bad example: I will solve world hunger. This goal is missing all of the key characteristics. A good example: I will enroll and take glass blowing classes starting no later than Sept 2010. Setting goals for your drive to passion means you will hold yourself accountable for making something happen in your life.

Get curious and go in search. Your biggest asset on your quest to find passion is to get curious about your environment and what other people are doing. Ask questions. Let one thing create a thread to others that you continue to follow. There are an unlimited number of things out there that people are doing and others who are inventing more things to do. Surround yourself with people who are passionate about the work they are doing or with people on a quest like you. Having others in your life, who are excited about life, will drive your process forward. It’s great to have daily doses of inspiration.

Record your results. To get the most out of your exploration, you need to spend time in introspection. You need to think about each action you take and your reactions to them. This will help you understand what works for you and what doesn’t. What you learn about yourself as you move forward will help inform your next steps. Consider keeping a discovery journal. If you do best debriefing your actions by talking, consider asking a person who is also going through a quest for passion to help you. You can ask each other deep probing questions and deepen the learning.

Repeat. Don’t try something just once. Give any new endeavor a chance to capture your interest by getting past the new start up roughness. Continue to move through the steps exploring, experimenting and learning until you discover the passion you are looking for.
Discovering something you can feel passionate about will greatly enhance your life and career. It is not magical nor is it difficult, but it does take effort. As long as you stay open about the possibilities and continually entertain new things, you will find the passion you want in your life.

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Guest Expert:

Dorothy Tannahill-Moran is a Career Coach and expert on helping her clients achieve their goals. Her programs cover: Career growth and enhancement, Career Change, Retirement Alternatives and Job Search Strategy. Want to discover specific career change strategies that get results? Discover how by claiming your FREE gift, Career Makeover Toolkit at: http://CareerMakeoverToolKitShouldIstayorShouldIGo.com/

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Open Networking: What’s Your Verdict?

When I joined LinkedIn during my job search, I did not yet have a large network of first-degree or second-degree contacts within my chosen industry and found it very challenging to reach any potential career stakeholders. I turned to open networking as sort of an experiment to see how it would serve me in my job search efforts by joining a couple LinkedIn groups for LIONs (a.k.a. LinkedIn Open Networkers).

As I gained more first-degree contacts, I gained more messaging access to them and their connections. As a result, I was able to set up a number of informational interviews, one of which led to an official interview and later the job offer for my current employment.

Therefore, I am very much a supporter of open networking; however, I realize that like all things, there are two sides which I believe should both be heard and considered.

To get the discussion going, I have reached out to several thought leaders to share their arguments for and against open networking.

FOR OPEN NETWORKING:

“As an ardent proponent of "Open Networking," I encourage it constantly in my work with clients and companies. According to research by Mark Granovetter cited in Herminia Ibarra's excellent book "Working Identity" (page 120), over 80% of job leads come from people outside of our key contact list (the numbers are 17% from strong ties, 55% from weak ties and 28% from weakest ties). By the use of Open Networking, the LinkedIn individual increases the opportunity for serendipity. I recently had a client who, through keeping his network open, made contact with a previously unknown individual in Washington State who was able to connect him with an employment opportunity he had discovered in Northeast Philadelphia. He had NO idea of who this person was, yet through LinkedIn was able to identify that this person had a strong connection to a position he had found here on the East Coast!” - Barry Davis

“I advise job seekers to become open networkers on LinkedIn because it increases their reach across the site. Without many connections, job seekers are limited to using InMail or group messages to contact other LinkedIn members in reference to their job searches. Open networking allows job hunters to reach out to recruiters and hiring managers to find out about openings or to follow up on posted positions. As a LinkedIn member, I had a person who was my first level connection ask me to forward a note to a hiring manager who was a connection of mine. I didn’t personally know the person who requested the favor, but I passed on the note without having to give a personal endorsement of the person. Most LinkedIn members are willing to help. As long as people reciprocate and are willing to help each other, being an open networker can benefit everyone.” - Cheryl Palmer

“I am an executive recruiter in Manhattan, and have been one for close to seven years. I have been using LinkedIn since July 2007. As of this moment, I have just shy of 10,000 contacts. I would guess that of those 10,000, I am personally acquainted with 100. The rest are perfect strangers. However, LinkedIn is my primary source for announcing job openings. It has never failed me. Period. End of discussion. I find candidates through LinkedIn. I have placed people who I have found through LinkedIn. There are, to the best of my knowledge, no downsides to using LinkedIn as an open networker. Some people have raised concerns. The first seems to be that as an open networker, you are associating yourself with strangers. My response is that everyone knows that the vast majority of contacts are strangers. You will not be held responsible for your contacts. That said, if a contact has a strange picture I will look at his or her profile and decide whether or not to keep them. I am looking for highly professional individuals. By definition, “highly professional individuals” do not post provocative photos or content on their profiles. So the people I delete are not the people who I would ever want as candidates.” - Bruce Hurwitz

AGAINST OPEN NETWORKING:

"Being a LinkedIn Open Networker is not a good idea. Why? Because who you publicly allow into your network reflects back on who you are. What does it say about you if you are linked to someone who posts inappropriate status updates? Who has conducted themselves in a "manner unbecoming" in the workplace? Who has been at the heart of a scandal of any sort? It does not say good things to a potential employer! In fact, I would think it would lead a recruiter to question your judgment. One of your top priorities during a job hunt should be to protect and put forth a positive, professional persona online and connecting with "just anyone" can easily throw that off-track. I'm not saying you need to have met, in person, everyone you connect with; however, you should have some knowledge of who they are, what they do, their reputation, etc.” - Robin Ferrier

“If every LinkedIn user connected indiscriminately, the system would completely stop working, and people would abandon the platform. Can you think of any positive reason that people would check into a system where millions of people "connected" to thousands of other people that they had no relationship with? (and "connect" in this fashion is not the same as a twitter connection - they are separate platforms)” - Steve Tylock

“The problem of being a Linkedin Open Networker is not the practice of encouraging connections that are unfamiliar. It is the unstructured nature of your resulting contacts and their lack of usefulness to your most important connections. The bell curve of members on LinkedIn is skewed toward service providers. As a LION, your connections will emulate that demographic and anyone who is connected to you will have their search results diluted by your unwieldy connections. This may result in your most important connections considering the removal of your profile as a direct connection. I am a proponent of being a LIHON, A Linkedin Handpicked Open Networker or a member that uses the ability to send messages for free to group members to handpick the most powerful connections, with or without a direct business experience. This will enhance the power of your profile and increase your credibility as a valuable Linkedin member.” - Brian Callahan

“Personally, the whole concept of “open networking” is something I oppose. Now don’t get me wrong, every once in a while I will make a LinkedIn connection with someone outside of my network, but usually that’s done with a specific purpose and within a relevant context for the person whom I’m reaching out to. The more people you add to your network – whether it’s LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter – the less attention you can focus on building relationships with each person in your network. I’m a believer that less is more. Rather than have thousands of meaningless connections, have a stronger, smaller network that knows you and will go to bat for you.” - Mario Schulzke

What are your thoughts? Are you for or against open networking? Why?

Has it hurt you or helped you?

Tell us your verdict!

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Author:

Chris Perry, MBA is a Gen Y brand and marketing "generator," a career search and personal branding expert and the founder of Career Rocketeer and Launchpad.

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Word of Mouth 2.0: Personal References by Google

When I started Vizibility last year, we hired accountants, lawyers and other professionals to help us get the business going. Very few of us choose a lawyer or doctor or realtor or [fill in the blank] based solely on the company’s television ad or website or phonebook ad or referral alone. We may start with one of these, but we validate what they tell us by getting input from friends, family, and past and current clients.

And Google.

For service professionals, the best way to find new clients will always be word of mouth and personal references. The Internet won’t change that. But it has changed how word of mouth is spread. Online due diligence is a routine part of evaluating service professionals, and ‘Googling’ is now standard practice.

Having a strong game plan to understand and manage what is being found about you online is just as important as having a good website. What do people find when they search for you? Does someone else share your name and dominate the results? Did the media run a positive story about you that just doesn’t show up for some reason? Did a disgruntled client post a comment somewhere that keeps popping up? Is Facebook showing up everywhere?

To help potential clients find accurate information about their attorneys, leading Intellectual Property law firm Novak Druce + Quigg recently decided to add Vizibility SearchMe buttons to the corporate profile pages of its attorneys (http://bit.ly/96UfBh). Vizibility ensures that their attorneys can be found quickly in Google so they don't miss an important opportunity to validate their credentials and make a powerful impression. In short, Vizibility will help Novak Druce + Quigg get more business. And we expect to see to see thousands of other law firms and other professional services organizations follow suit by adding SearchMe buttons to the bios of practioners on their corporate websites.

Along with Vizibility, there are other tools that can help manage your online presence. But the single most important method of generating positive word of mouth will never change: deliver great service to your clients.

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Guest Expert:

James Alexander is the founder and CEO of Vizibility. A serial technology entrepreneur, James has been involved with Internet search since starting eWatch in 1995.

Most recently James served as General Manager of Jupiterimages. Getty Images acquired the company in early 2009. Before that, James was Director of Product Management at Adobe Systems years where he created, built and managed Adobe Stock Photos, which served more than 7,000 creative professional customers in its first 36 months of operations. He joined Adobe in 2001 to manage and build the company’s early-stage electronic book (ebook) business.

Prior to Adobe, James led venture-backed Mibrary Inc., a New York-based software start-up founded in 1999 to make electronic books and other digital content easier for consumers to use. Prior to Mibrary, James co-founded the Internet brand monitoring service eWatch, which was purchased by PR Newswire in 1999.

James was awarded a patent for search innovations on Adobe Stock Photos and has other patents pending. He earned his Masters of Business Administration with distinction from Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Rockefeller College at the University at Albany in New York.

Google James at http://vizibility.com/james.

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30+ Strong Action Verbs to Spice Up Your Resume

If you use the phrases “responsible for, duties included, or worked with...” you are selling yourself, your experience and your resume short. These passive terms do absolutely nothing for communicating the value and benefits you offer an employer.

These phrases are boring and repetitive because most every job seeker uses them. Hiring managers need words that jump off the page and captivate them. Here are a few examples of my favorite action words:

Accelerated
Authored
Captivated
Captured
Championed

Consolidated
Critiqued
Directed
Diversified
Diverted
Doubled
Enforced
Enhanced
Exceeded
Pioneered
Forged
Formalized
Formulated
Generated
Influenced
Initiated
Integrated
Intensified
Leveraged
Masterminded
Maximized
Mentored
Optimized
Orchestrated
Re-engineered
Spearheaded
Structured
Proliferated
Recaptured
Rejuvenated

...And the list could go on. Don’t like these? Use the synonym feature in Microsoft Word or go to thesaurus.com. Be strategic in your action verb choice and choose strong words that convey ACTION and RESULTS to begin every sentence. These words are a key component in creating a powerful and captivating resume.

For more great resources and resume samples visit Great Resumes Fast or to request a free resume analysis send your resume via e-mail to info@greatresumesfast.com.

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Author:

Jessica Holbrook is an expert resume writer, career and personal branding strategist, author, speaker and President/CEO of Great Resumes Fast. She creates high-impact, best-in-class, resumes and cover letters that win interviews. For a free resume analysis visit http://www.greatresumesfast.com/ or for a free phone consultation call 1.800.991.5187.

View the Original article