Getting Interviews

How to Find & Use Keywords for Your Job Search

by • , , , , ,

Keywords in your resume, LinkedIn profile, emails and 'pitch' help to communicate your value. To job prospects, your use of the right keywords tells them you are an "insider" (everyone wants to hire insiders) and that you understand the problems they face. Organizations use keyword filters for candidate searches, so your use of strategically placed keywords will improve your likelihood of being spotted.

When someone is searching on LinkedIn for a candidate with your skills (increasingly LinkedIn is the first stop for candidate searches), keywords in certain parts of your profile  matter more than others.

This page or post can be viewed by HCC members only. Consider becoming one. or Log in.

If you're trying to view a blog post, you've exceeded the number of posts that can be viewed for free. Become a member for unlimited viewing, log in, or wait for your monthly allocation to reset.

Cold Calling Giving You Cold Feet? Try These 9 Tips

by • , ,

cold feet warm socks shutterstock_248949232Many clients tell me that they really dislike the process of calling people they don’t know to get meetings, interviews, or new business opportunities. By following these tips on how to present yourself on the call and adopt the right mindset, you'll get better results, and feel better too!

Presenting Yourself – Rehearse your “20-second pitch.”
How do you get them to stay on the phone, or want to speak with you? The key is your  20-second pitch. When someone takes your call, they

This page or post can be viewed by HCC members only. Consider becoming one. or Log in.

If you're trying to view a blog post, you've exceeded the number of posts that can be viewed for free. Become a member for unlimited viewing, log in, or wait for your monthly allocation to reset.

LinkedIn “Recommendations” vs. “Endorsements”

by • , , ,

Getting a recommendation on LinkedIn can help your career. LinkedIn recommendations are valued by hiring managers. Why? 1. The first-degree connection giving the recommendation is visible, hence "researchable" on LinkedIn, 2. significant effort is involved in writing a recommendation, adding to the authenticity, and 3. the content's often descriptive nature helps the hiring manager to understand your value. I would suggest getting at least three LinkedIn recommendations. LinkedIn considers three-plus recommendations to be a factor in "profile completeness," which figures in it's search rankings.

This page or post can be viewed by HCC members only. Consider becoming one. or Log in.

If you're trying to view a blog post, you've exceeded the number of posts that can be viewed for free. Become a member for unlimited viewing, log in, or wait for your monthly allocation to reset.

Want to Fast-forward Your Job Search? Target More Positions

by • ,

In the end, the job search is a numbers game. To improve your odds of landing a position quickly, you've got to actively go for a large number of potential positions (open or filled). That is, don't just passively wait for the search firm to call or the ad to show up. Instead, create a plan with enough "potential" and then implement that plan by proactively reaching out. . .

This page or post can be viewed by HCC members only. Consider becoming one. or Log in.

If you're trying to view a blog post, you've exceeded the number of posts that can be viewed for free. Become a member for unlimited viewing, log in, or wait for your monthly allocation to reset.

The Single Best Presentation Tip: Tell a Great Story

by • , , , , ,

Whether your goal is to sell, inform, or land a job offer, telling engaging, relevant stories can turn even a so-so presentation into a great one. Illustrating your points with the right stories will have a far stronger impact than many other things you can do, including slide design, body language, eye contact, and so forth.

This page or post can be viewed by HCC members only. Consider becoming one. or Log in.

If you're trying to view a blog post, you've exceeded the number of posts that can be viewed for free. Become a member for unlimited viewing, log in, or wait for your monthly allocation to reset.

Resumes vs. LinkedIn Profiles: What You Need to Know

by • , ,

You can create an effective LinkedIn profile by following the same principles that I would recommend for your resume. For example, focus on accomplishments, have a summary section, use keywords that resonate with your audience, etc. etc. Three key differences in the way that resumes and profiles are shared, however, could have a big impact on how you choose to modify your resume for your profile. . .

This page or post can be viewed by HCC members only. Consider becoming one. or Log in.

If you're trying to view a blog post, you've exceeded the number of posts that can be viewed for free. Become a member for unlimited viewing, log in, or wait for your monthly allocation to reset.

Top Resume Mistakes to Avoid (Part 2)

by • , ,

In Part 1, I covered the top two mistakes that I see clients make on their resumes. In this post I’ll cover resume do's and don'ts, plus six more common mistakes-- all of which violate the “Golden Rule” of resume writing: Your “how I can help you” message needs to jump off the page in the 10-30 seconds a potential employer is looking at your resume. . .

This page or post can be viewed by HCC members only. Consider becoming one. or Log in.

If you're trying to view a blog post, you've exceeded the number of posts that can be viewed for free. Become a member for unlimited viewing, log in, or wait for your monthly allocation to reset.

Top Resume Mistakes to Avoid (Part 1- the top two)

by • , ,

(Update: Part 2 is here) When a potential employer reviews your resume, s/he thinks: a) Can this person help me to do my job? and b) I have about10-30 seconds to scan this resume. Hence, the Golden Rule of resume writing: Your “how I can help you” message needs to jump off the page in the 10-30 seconds it’s being reviewed. You'll hear many rules (like this one) tossed around by experts. My suggestion from experience and training is to forget all those other rules, and just follow this one rule.  Anything that serves this Golden Rule is good, anything that doesn't is bad-- which brings us to the top two resume mistakes:

This page or post can be viewed by HCC members only. Consider becoming one. or Log in.

If you're trying to view a blog post, you've exceeded the number of posts that can be viewed for free. Become a member for unlimited viewing, log in, or wait for your monthly allocation to reset.

10 Ways to Take Control of Your Job Search

by • , , , , ,

businesswoman flying take control shutterstock_195916973It can be tempting to attribute a long job search to factors beyond your control. The factors that I hear jobseekers mention include age, experience (i.e. over- or under-qualified), resume gaps, weight, ethnic background, gender, or some other physical feature. While, at times, these factors and biases do cause problems for job-seekers, nine times out of ten I see that the problem is actually in their job-search strategy or execution.

So, here's a checklist of 10 questions to ask yourself first, before attributing a long search to factors beyond your control. Your answers will help to put you back in the driver’s seat and on the road to the job you want.

This page or post can be viewed by HCC members only. Consider becoming one. or Log in.

If you're trying to view a blog post, you've exceeded the number of posts that can be viewed for free. Become a member for unlimited viewing, log in, or wait for your monthly allocation to reset.

Sending an email vs an old-fashioned letter

by • ,

Job-search clients often ask me whether they should mail or email their cover or followup letter.  I tell them to default to email unless there is a compelling special case for sending a traditional letter.  The reasons I recommend email:

This page or post can be viewed by HCC members only. Consider becoming one. or Log in.

If you're trying to view a blog post, you've exceeded the number of posts that can be viewed for free. Become a member for unlimited viewing, log in, or wait for your monthly allocation to reset.

«‹ 3 4 5 6