One of the things I hear the most from job seekers is how difficult it is to quantify results form their past work experience. Everyone agrees that doing so is helpful, if not critical, to the job search. However, most find it difficult to show a measurement for something they have done in the past. They didn’t keep track of the numbers, or they cant remember them now, or they “were just doing their job” and don’t really know what measurable impact their impact had on the end result. Or, and this is really most often the case, they are confused and scared as to how to do this important work.
If you are one of the people who has had trouble quantifying results, then I’d like to invite you to join me in this week’s challenge – “One CAR Statement per day.” Writing one a day will help you get past the fear and confusion to take a giant leap forward in your career search. Here’s how it works.
1) Go to the section on “Writing CARS” in Careers 2.0. Here’s a link (you will have to log in to Careers 2.0)
2) Work on one (just one) CAR Statement each day.
3) Post it here in the comments of this blog post to share with others and get their feedback.
You can use these on your resume, in your networking, as part of an interview, and in negotiating for a higher salary! It’s simple. I’ll start.
CONDITION: In the fall of 2001 five denominations were planning their joint summer camp curriculum for the next summer.
ACTIVITY: They brought a group of us together to brainstorm themes and activities based on a topic that would be used nationwide by more than 200 camp programs. I was assigned to write the curriculum for the older children (grades 4-6). I had to research both the topic and the learning styles/needs of this age group.
RESULT: I wrote a curriculum and it was well received. I turned in my curriculum on time. One Camp Director even said that it was the best in the series (in her opinion). Curriculum titled: “Under God’s Roof: Daily Discoveries for Older Children”, Summer Camp Curriculum, published by the Cooperative Publication Association, March 2002.
STATEMENT: Researched topic and learning needs and wrote a curriculum that was used by over 200 summer camp programs nationwide in 2002.
Will you join me in this week’s challenge? Post your CARS Statements in the comments and let us all know what you have accomplished.
Companies are beginning to hire, and that means they will actually be at the Job Fairs this year. If you want to get the most our of your time at a job fair, some helpful tips are in order. Here are my top 7 “DO’s and DON’Ts”:
Have fun at these fairs. They can be a great place to meet new people and learn about a company or two that you may have some interest in. Just don’t expect to come away with a job, or you may be very disappointed.
When I asked for input on what to write about in this blog I received the following request from Doug:
“I would be interested in hearing about effective uses of time when you are looking for work. How much time should be spent on internet search engines, linkedin, attending network marketing meetings, having one-on-one network meetings, time spend with an accountability partner, exercising, prayer/meditation, time spent not working on the job search (I feel guilty doing this), volunteering, or other valuable uses of time. Alternately, what are poor uses of time. As I go through this process, I have been advised to do everything and say a yes to everything.”
This is a GREAT question Doug, I’m glad you asked it. Let me take a shot at answering it. . .
Going through the job search process is challenging. Because it’s so new to most of us, choosing how to spend out time each day/week/month can be confusing. On top of the confusion there are several pressing issues, such as:
As someone who has helped hundreds of people successfully navigate unemployment and career transition this past year, let me share with you some of what I see to be most effective uses of your time in this process.
Some of the activities that have proven to be the worst use of time for job seekers include:
This is just a beginning list of how to structure your job search efforts. The key is to have a strategic plan with specific goals that you can track and measure each day/week. We have more resources on this topic inside the Careers 2.0 membership site. The Basic Membership is free, so sign up and take a look!
Thanks for asking Doug!
How about the rest of you? What would YOU like to read about in this blog?
You will only have about 8 seconds to get the attention of the person reading your resume. That’s nearly impossible, UNLESS you have a clear and concise Professional Summary Statement. Here are some tips for writing that concise Professional Summary:
With only 8 seconds to grab the attention of your potential employer, you better have a clear Professional Summary. A good Summary will help them see that you are a person they want to learn more about. . . and ultimately that’s what it takes to get the job!
Need more? If you want some samples of professional resume summary’s please shoot me an email – info@orcms.com
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In the Careers 2.0 job search process we compare the job search to the work of the sales and marketing professional. This new and powerful model for job seekers may a bit unusual but it really works! In our model your resume is part of your marketing packet, and the interviews are where you proceed through the 5 steps of the sales process to make the sale. In this article we take an in-depth look at the interview from the perspective of a professional sales person. Granted, this approach will be uncomfortable for those of you who aren’t used to selling. You may not like this approach. You may not even choose to use this approach. However, I encourage you to take a serious look at it and see what you can learn from a pro about making this very important sale – YOURSELF.
There are many sales models out there, and professional sales people will argue over the effectiveness of their preferred choice. However, they all boil down to a few simple steps that, when followed, will help turn a prospect into a buyer. The five steps I see most often are:
1) Identify Needs. The needs identification process begins before you write your resume. You want to have a clear understanding of what you have to offer and a specific knowledge of who needs it. In the Careers 2.0 process this is step I and II – Assessment and Research. You want to make this step as precise as possible. Every good sales person will tell you that knowing your target audience is key to making the sale. You don’t want to waste your time (or theirs) talking to people who don’t have need of your product or services. When you identify the needs or problems of your prospective employer you can prepare your interview questions and answers to demonstrate why you are the perfect candidate.
2) Qualify Buyers. If you are selling cars, it is vitally important to know if you are talking to someone who is a serious buyer or just a “tire kicker.” Likewise, in the job interview, you want to determine as quickly as possible if the person with whom you are meeting has the ability to make the hiring decision or if they are just trying to make a list to send up the food chain. There are different tactics for each of these situations, and all of them equates to “making the sale.” However, the “sale” in each instance may be different. In the interview process, “making the sale” equates to getting a job offer when you are meeting with someone who has hiring authority. In all other cases “making the sale” means “getting the next interview.” (For a deeper explanation of different types of interviews see “The Art Of Interviewing To Land Your Perfect Job”)
3) Present Solutions. The most often and effective sales technique used by sales professionals combines asking questions with making a specific sales pitch. You want to make certain that the prospect is engaged with you and still wants or needs your services. To do that you will ask questions that help you identify/magnify the pain and simultaneously check to see if the prospect is still willing and able to buy. In an interview you will most likely not be the one to ask the bulk of the questions. However, a good job candidate will listen carefully, ask probing questions, and present her answers so as to address the specific problems that the interviewer has. This takes skill and practice! We aren’t used to listening actively in our culture. But it’s a skill you had better learn and practice if you want the job. You can be certain that your most qualified competition has taken the time to learn how to listen and ask deep, probing questions.
4) Handle Objections. This is where you have an opportunity to show your prospective employer why you are uniquely suited for the position. If you have done a good job of steps 1 – 3, you will know ahead of time what objections might come up. They typically fall into 2 categories: a) experience and b) personality.
5) Close the Sale. Sales professionals have a variety of “closing techniques” in their sales quiver. These techniques have funny names like “the which close,” “the trial close,” “the take away,” and even “the red dress close.” Honestly, in my opinion, most of these techniques give sales people a bad name (can you say, “used car salesman?”). I recommend that most job seekers refrain from the use of such techniques. There are, however, some softer closing techniques that will help you move forward in the interview process. I recommend the following 3 step approach. This is what I call “the job interview soft close.”
For more help on nailing the job interview be sure to sign up for email updates. If you need more assistance with your job search consider checking out my book, “Career Crossroads” (affiliate link).
“If ignorant both of your enemy and yourself, you are certain to be in peril.” Sun-Tsu, The Art of War
24 centuries ago Sun-tzu taught his generals that winning involves two things: knowledge of one’s self and knowledge of one’s opponent. This advice is still true today — especially for job seekers going on an interview. (I know the interviewer is not your “opponent” per se, but you must admit that sometimes it feels that way!) Understanding who you are interviewing with and what their objectives are for a particular interview will give you a leg up on your real competition . . . other candidates for the job.
In today’s post I outline the 5 basic types of job interviews in which you, as a job seeker, will participate. It’s important to know what your interviewer (i.e. your “opponent”) wants to get out of the interview, so you can move on to the next step where the position and salary are finally negotiated.
1) Phone Screening
What is the purpose from the standpoint of THIS interviewer?
2) Recruiter
What is the purpose from the standpoint of THIS interviewer?
3) Hiring Manager
What is the purpose from the standpoint of THIS interviewer?
4) Peers/Team Members/Direct Reports
What is the purpose from the standpoint of THIS interviewer?
5) Senior Executives/President/Founder
What is the purpose from the standpoint of THIS interviewer?
Knowing who you are interviewing and understanding THEIR needs is critical to taking the next step in the interview process. There is a lot more information on interviewing and negotiating in the Careers 2.0 membership site. Sign up now for free access. Good luck and happy hunting.
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Remember the game your mom used to make you play on long road trips to keep you from whacking your little sister in the head the whole time? It went something like, “I’m going on a trip, and I’m taking with me …” Then everyone would take a turn telling what you would bring along. You had to pick something that used the next letter of the alphabet, but first you had to remember what everyone ahead of you said for their letter.
Hey, I know, let’s try it using only things you need for your job search. I’ll go first.
“I’m going out to look for a job and I’m taking…
Want to know how to use these essential job search skills MOST effectively? Sign up now for a FREE Basic membership to Careers 2.0. Click here now.
30 Day Blogging Challenge – day 8. Tomorrow’s post: “The ABCs of Career Management”
Welcome December! This month I am participating in a 30 Day Blogging Challenge with some other bloggers. As you know, this blog is all about helping people find a new job. Not just any new job, mind you, but rather, the perfect career. That’s why we write about acing the interview, cutting time off your job search, and using Internet job boards (like LinkedIn, Monster.com, and Twitter).
This 30 day blog challenge will allow me to develop some new material to use in the Careers 2.0 website. That means two things for you: 1) you get the opportunity to add your 2 cents to the conversation, and 2) you get it for free before everyone else! This blog is all about offering free job advice, free job resources, free resume examples, and much more. We deal with topics such as networking, building a personal brand, working with recruiters, unemployment, interviewing and salary negotiation. What would YOU like to see us cover during the 30 day challenge? I hope you will participate by adding your thoughts to the conversation. Actually, it won’t be much fun without you! Oh, and don’t forget to pass the links along to your fellow job seekers.
While the long term goal of this blog is to help everyone in America find the perfect career for this time in their life, my short term goals are a bit more attainable. Here are my goals for 30 day blog challenge:
Thank you for joining (and encouraging) me on this 30 day blogging journey. And don’t forget, happy hunting!
30 Day Blogging Challenge – day 1. Tomorrow’s post: “Do You Have A Professional Photo?”
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Here is a tutorial on using Visual CV in Plain English. This is a GREAT idea for helping you stand out in the crowd from other job seekers. Check out the Visual CV website. This is better than free job advice! This is a free job resource!
So, what do you think? Should YOU have a video resume?