Mindy Thomas

CAREER CHAT

Learning How to Play the Game-Six Tips

Learning How to Play the Game-Six Tips

Here are a few reminders on ways to play the game if you want to win in the job market today.

#1 Over 40,000 new resumes are posted to Monster.com each day. Yes, these are gargantuan numbers but do you realize most people are not landing jobs through posting to the internet? Accept this first factoid and you will start to climb out of the black hole you might be in. Understand that there are many other ways to get noticed and land a position. Take a look at Tory Johnson’s article on uncovering the hidden job market. There are completely new rules to the game and you have to learn them now. http://blogs.abcnews.com/toryjohnson/2009/12/unlock-the-hidden-job-market.html

#2 Google receives over 1800 unsolicited resumes everyday. Do the math on that (or don’t.) But, one thing that is a MUST besides ramping up your resume and modernizing it is to increase your online presence as soon as you are able to. Many people are on Linked-In and doing nothing but waiting for a “hit”. Try to grab Jason Alba’s new book and sign up for his blog. It’s easy reading and chock full of information that will save you from the massive confusion that abounds everywhere. http://www.happyabout.com/linkedinhelp.php

#3 Prospective employers and HR recruiters generally spend a mere 15 to 20 seconds reviewing a resume for the first time. Many of these folks are not career strategists. More importantly, you will need to prepare a compelling overview not a biography when writing your resume. This is one of the biggest blunders that candidates are making right now . . . TMI (too much information) is a real concern and can get you knocked out of a search in a nano second.

#4 A professionally prepared resume will increase the success rate of getting an interview in today’s competitive job market. I have seen numerous people reapply after they have invested in a professional resume and land the job. It is absolutely amazing. Don’t be afraid to reapply even after you applied to that company four months ago. The recruiter will parse your resume into their ATS and the old resume will virtually disappear.

#5 A finely crafted resume can command a higher salary. One of my clients had landed an interview with her old resume, and in the middle of the search process, presented her latest rendition of her resume. When she got the offer, it was 7K more than the range she anticipated. We were doing a happy dance – she was on one side of the phone and I was on the other. I had to push her on submitting that new resume. In the end, I know that she was thrilled that she did.

#6 You can save money by focusing your job search through targeted cover letters instead of a “blanket” approach. Everyone hates the truth about this one. And, I have to tell you that you MUST customize every cover letter. It is a royal pain, I know. But, do it well and understand that even though 50% of the recruiters do not read these letters, there’s a whole lot of folks that do. Bottom line is if you blow that cover letter in anyway, you are never going to get to the table for an interview. These recruiters will simply not turn the page. I know because I always ask this question when I come in contact with one of them.

Embrace the market as it is. This is our new reality. Tackle this new job market with the support of books, tools, empowering and motivational CD’s and new strategies. People are landing and I know you want to as well. Boomers, college graduates, mothers returning to work and even teens that may have dropped out of college due to lack of funding and are working . . . they were all where you once were. So, let’s get started and begin navigating your job search with less frustration by embracing these tips and changing your approach to ensure a more rapid path to success.

Your Career is Your Business. Isn’t it Time For You to Manage it Like a CEO?

Please call Professional Career Counselor Mindy Thomas, MS, CPRW, CLC, CJC, CJDC directly at 610.937.5632 or send us a message. Our offices are located in suburban Philadelphia at 221 North Olive Street in Media, PA, close to Wilmington DE, NYC and Washington DC.