How to Get your Resume Noticed!

When you see a posting that is an excellent match for your background, you want the hiring team to also see your resume and realize that you should be considered for the job. Sometimes, as a job seeker, you need to facilitate this process by pointing out that you meet the qualifications for the position.

A strong cover letter to accompany your resume can make a difference. Using a two-column format in your cover letter, one side showing the requirements specified for the position, alongside a column with your qualifications, can make it easy for a person reviewing resumes to see the fit (if you truly meet those requirements). I am working with a client who has been called for an interview every time that she has been able to use this approach (and now has several possibilities in the works and is close to accepting an offer).

If the posting is online, try to find out the name of the hiring manager and send the cover letter and resume directly to them as well as to the advertisement. Often, resumes are screened by a junior person and never reach the hiring manager. If the application does not allow you to include a cover letter, at a minimum mail a letter and clean resume to Human Resources and also try to find the hiring manager. Even consider dropping your cover letter and resume off in person if the company is relatively nearby - in this day of internet communication, you will stand out from the crowd of applicants.

The Details can Make the Difference

When searching for a new job, and in managing your career if you are employed, professional details can make the difference between success and disappointments. Maintaining a distinction between business and personal life is critical.

For example, it may seem harmless to send emails from your business email account. However, that address is for company business only. Some companies do monitor outgoing email as the message is representing their company and should be appropriate. Even if your messages are not being monitored, the receiver sees that the message was initiated from your current job.

If you are sending out correspondence to a potential new employer, consider the way this appears to them. Why is this person writing to me about a job from their current job? Will they do this to me? Even if they are not taking time from their job, there is a perception of impropriety that may prevent the job seeker from being considered for the new position.

At this time, being cautious, thinking about the details, can make the difference!

The Difference Changing your Resume can Make!

I am working with a client who had a pretty typical resume. She had the information on her jobs, responsibilities of those positions, and an objective. This client had been sending out her resume but not receiving any responses.

We worked together to identify her specific accomplishments, develop a summary of her skills to include at the top of the resume, and used bold type and underlining to really draw the eye to her most significant points. The information is more powerful and so has been the response!!

Two resumes sent out in the new format generated two phone calls for interviews!! We used The Five O'Clock approach to resumes and are getting meetings. Our next step is to develop an effective cover letter for targeted mailings using the same concepts.

Contact me if you would like the details on this type of resume revision.

Job Clubs - Should you join or start one?

One of the stories on Good Morning America this morning focused on the benefits of joining or starting a Job Club. The concept of a Job Club is a good one, especially if the club's members are clear that this is not a "pity party" but a meeting of active job seekers to strategically help each other in their job search.

The Five O'Clock Club's Insider Program offers weekly "meetings" by telephone, and the critical difference in this method is that the group is led by a Certified Career Coach, trained in proven methods to effectively find new opportunities. Yes, there is a fee to participate in this group, but the expertise offered and group support have a proven track record of success.

If you do decide to start your own Job Club locally, consider engaging the services of an experienced Career Coach to lead your group in their strategy sessions. The group's members may be willing to share the cost of the coach, who will guide the group and ensure that their efforts are going in the right direction.

Internships - Career Planning for College Students and new Grads

In yesterday's Miami Herald, there was an article about the number of internships that are now unpaid, and discussion of whether it is worthwhile to participate in an internship for "free." If a student looks at an internship as a learning opportunity, and part of the educational process, they will realize that having hands-on experience related to their career is invaluable as they look for full-time employment after graduation. Ideally, an internship is mutually beneficial for the employer and the student - the employer takes time to "teach" the student practical skills related to their career, and the student completes assignments that benefit the employer and increase their own knowledge.



Of course, some internships actually are co-operative employment arrangements, with job responsibilities and guidance from the employer, and generally do offer compensation. Many traditional internships are coordinated through the college or university, the student receives college credit for the internship, and may not be paid.



In either case, college and graduate students should look for internship opportunities as they plan their schedules. Practical experience will be a key to finding permanent positions after graduation.