AS THE WEATHER BECOMES COOLER, THE JOB MARKET GETS HOTTER…
ARE YOU READY?
While the weather is wonderful in the summer, job search during the summer can be – well – not so wonderful…
Many employers take a break from hiring during the summer or rely on summer students; additionally, decision makers are often on vacation, making it difficult for the hiring process to move along. Once Fall arrives however, employers get their hiring engines in gear. Simply doing the same thing you have done all summer, may produce the same results: disappointment, frustration, and a feeling that you are missing out on opportunities.
As a Career Coach and Resume Writer, I encourage my clients to get ready for Fall and have their marketing material ready to go in order to be the candidate that gets their foot in the door!
Fall is the time to get your personal brand in order and present yourself to the job market as a candidate who stands out from the competition. Your brand is evident in each aspect of your marketing material:
1. Resume
2. cover letters
3. linkedIN profile & social media presence
Resumes that rock must be:
· Concise – no more than 3 pages for senior roles – two pages max for all others
· Grammatically perfect - typos or use of incorrect grammar can get your resume tossed into the “no” file, faster than you can say “reportted direct to top manger in hole company”
· Attractive – ensure that the format you select represents your personality – if you are creative, use colour and interesting graphics; otherwise, use headers, font, and style that entice the reader to look more closely.
· Focused on achievements – Did you help the company save money? Increase revenue? Streamline or improve business processes? If so – write it down and quantify the results!
· Include key info at the top of the first page - ensure that header, contact information, branding statement, objective, highlights of qualifications, and recent role, are all on the first page.
· Clear and accurate regarding the dates in which you worked, the progressive roles you filled, your major responsibilities and most importantly, your key achievements that contributed to your company’s success.
Cool cover letters must be:
· Customized – include company name, key contact info, and reason why you want to work with this organization (do your research and detail what you learned about their success, growth or innovative products).
· Include a first paragraph that provides an overview of your work history, skills and achievements. This is your “elevator pitch” be brief yet present a sales-focused summary.
· Include a middle paragraph, table, or bullets that match your skills to the position requirements. Take the time to understand the competencies required in the role and then match your skills to their needs.
· Include a closing paragraph that confirms your interest in the role and states that you will follow-up. Most importantly, track your search activities and follow-up on each application diligently.
Successful Social Media must be:
· Complete – linkedIN is one of the best job search tools – use it well – this means that your profile must be complete – include a summary, specialties, details about recent roles and education – be sure to include relevant key words.
· Connected – strive for 100-200+ contacts – more contacts = greater SEO for your profile and greater ability for you to find contacts in desired companies. Join groups to enhance your exposure and participate in discussions thereby demonstrating your industry knowledge.
· Unique – let your passions, interests and unique skills shine through – use the summary to state why you love your work and what you can do for a new organization.
· Succinct – Although your profile should reflect your resume and contain the same facts, it should be a streamlined and slimmed down version of your full CV.
· Professional – check your privacy settings on Facebook – employers check your social media presence; don’t let them see anything you wouldn’t want your mother to know about you….
Take the time today to review, revise, or completely re-do your marketing material.
If you are not sure whether your material meets the grade, get help.
The Fall is one of the busiest hiring seasons; get yourself into gear to be the successful candidate that gets their foot in the door!
Please contact me to help you create high impact resumes, cover letters, linkedIN profiles and job search strategies:
Call Linda Smith 416.930.8687