Tips & Strategies
WARNING: Following the Herd Can Lead You Astray When You:
- Attend networking events
- Rely on the recruiters in your sector
- Post your resume on internet job boards
- Seek out leads from a limited circle of friends and colleagues
These job hunting and career transition strategies are generally accepted and widely applied. They're also the fastest way to get lost in a sea of qualified candidates. Why? Because they're inherently passive and ineffective in today's economic environment.
A more proactive and effective approach is to target the key decision makers you want to access and then deliver a compelling personal marketing message (i.e. your resume and/or pitch) that describes how you are positioned to contribute to the bottom line.
Accelerate your job search or career transition by clicking on the topics below to access our Fortune 100 recruiter secrets.
Myth: People say your resume looks good.
Reality: Unfortunately, most of us are woefully misinformed about what a powerful marketing message looks like. Virtually all resumes portray 5-10% of a candidate's professional value. Moreover, the whole system (hiring managers, colleagues and candidates) perpetuates the evaluation of resumes against very mediocre standards.
Solution: Ensure that your resume is believable and compelling. Check out our Resume & Pitch guidelines and samples, or consult with one of our expert coaches for the tools that will enable your resume to get attention.
Myth: Employers are interested in your passion for their business.
Reality: Employers care about the bottom line; i.e. how to maximize revenue, cut costs and mitigate risks.
Solution: Promote yourself as a worthwhile investment. Show how your special talents and experience can be leveraged to contribute directly to the company's bottom line.
Myth: Your resume should not include an Objective Statement or Profile Summary so that you can keep your options open.
Reality: By omitting an Objective or Profile from your resume, you're leaving it up to the imagination of the reader to figure out why you're an ideal candidate. When done well, these are statements of your professional value that are validated by the experience and accomplishments outlined in your resume.
Solution: Develop an Objective or Profile that states what role you're seeking and how you're positioned to immediately add value to a prospective employer's bottom line.
Myth: Your professional experience and/or education will sell itself.
Reality: While working for a brand name company or attending a pedigree school may get you past an initial screening, your resume still has to convince HR or the hiring manager that you're worth an interview.
Solution: Make sure your resume communicates how you made a difference to your employers or school. Show how you delivered meaningful results on a coveted project and therefore understand how to solve problems and/or capitalize on opportunities.
Myth: My skills are not transferrable.
Reality: Many skills employed in today's economy (i.e. communications, analytical, sales, service, etc.) are valued in multiple sectors and can be used to make a direct or indirect impact on an organization's bottom line.
Solution: Become familiar with the industry to which you want to transition. Conduct research and network to uncover critical nuances, and then communicate how your out-of-sector expertise can make relevant impact; whether it's by driving revenue, lowering costs, mitigating risks, changing processes, improving client satisfaction, strengthening productivity or enhancing a brand image.
Myth: Companies know what they are looking for in prospective employees.
Reality: A typical job description provides only a skeletal and generic view of the job responsibilities, performance objectives and environmental challenges.
Solution: Draw upon your experience and/or the knowledge of experts in the field to identify the critical challenges inherent in a position. By understanding the particular needs and concerns of a hiring manager, you can then create a stellar resume that positions you as a uniquely qualified solution provider.
Myth: Always follow the job posting “rules” by communicating directly with Human Resources.
Reality: Why follow the herd? Many hiring managers would welcome an opportunity to hear from a stellar candidate, as they are increasingly disappointed with the talent recommended by their HR departments and/or recruiters.
Solution: It's ok to break the rules. Your chance of getting noticed by the hiring manager is exponentially increased if you use Get What You Set's techniques to say it, prove it and deliver It.
Myth: There is no harm in submitting your resume to an online job posting for which you may not necessarily be qualified, yet want to ensure that your resume is on file.
Reality 1: Chances are your resume will be lost in a sea of hundreds, if not thousands of other applicants, so how will you get noticed?
Reality 2: You lose a chance to be represented by a recruiter because your resume will be off limits to them once you submit it directly to the company. Then you're competing against a highly motivated recruiter with the ability to access and accelerate the hiring of other candidates.
Solution: Use the internet only to submit your resume directly to a corporate job posting that is very current (i.e. posted no more than 30 days) and for which you are highly qualified and serious about pursuing. Then use the techniques in our Toolkit to access and follow up with the decision maker.
Myth: Having a friend or networking contact circulate your resume within his/her company is an effective strategy.
Reality: Think about it. Are you absolutely sure this person is really motivated to help you? Why put your destiny in someone else's hands? If a company has hundreds, even thousands of employees, how can you be sure it will go to the right place?
Solution: Control your own destiny by delivering your resume and pitch directly to key decision makers in that company. Once you identify the decision maker, then leverage your networking contact by asking if you can use his/her name as a reference.
Myth: Counter age discrimination by eliminating early jobs and graduation dates on your resume to hide your age.
Reality: Creating “blanks” like these makes it even more obvious.
Solution: Your age is your advantage. Promote your wisdom and experience in solving problems as well as anticipating and capitalizing on opportunities.