How to Get a Job
Insights from a former recruiter
by Lisa Saunders
Copyright Lisa Saunders 2011
Published at Smashwords
Smashwords Edition, License Notes: This free-book may be copied, distributed, reposted, reprinted and shared, provided it appears in its entirety without alteration, and the reader is not charged to access it.
About Lisa Saunders
Lisa Saunders, a former recruiter for National Field Services Corporation, is a writer, publicist and workshop presenter. Winner of the National Council for Marketing & Public Relations Gold Medallion Award, she helps individuals and organizations promote their work through Internet marketing, public speaking, and creating news that leads to free advertising in print and broadcast media. Lisa’s clients include National Field Service Corporation and the State University of New York at Rockland. More information about her work is available at the end of this e-book.
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Topics Covered:
Resume objectives—they can be deadly
Hidden Job Market—how to fill a job before it’s advertised
Where to Post your Resume, Curriculum Vitae or Profile
Little known online sites where employers post openings
Buzzwords needed for online resumes
How to behave at a networking event
Join business organizations and/or attend their functions
Freelancing/interning/volunteering allows you to change fields
Getting an employer to sample your skills
Interviewing
How becoming a writer or speaker can lead to a job offer or secure clients
Learning new skills
Just Laid-Off?
If you just found out you were laid-off, try to stay upbeat about your employer. Remember, they probably didn’t want to let you go. If you show a good attitude by thanking them for the opportunity to work for them, you increase your chances of getting hired back when business picks up. Stay in touch with your former bosses. They may recommend you for positions that open up in other organizations.
During interviews with other companies, keep your remarks about your former boss/company as positive as possible. Speaking negatively about a former employer will give the interviewer the impression that you may be difficult to work with.
How and Where to Post your Resume, Curriculum Vitae or Profile
The worst way to spend the majority of your job hunting time is behind your computer, but initially, it must be done. Post your resume immediately with temporary and regular employment agencies (ones in your industry and the general ones like Kelly Services and Manpower). The best thing that can happen while you are looking for a permanent job is to be working for a company as a temp. Many people have received permanent job offers after working for an employer as a temp. Employers are afraid to hire someone outright without really knowing how they will fit in with their organization. They wonder if you call in sick a lot, if you tend to be late, etc.
Resume Details and Format: After signing up with employment agencies, you will also need to post a general (no job objective), yet thorough resume on several resume database sites. Your online resume can break the “one page rule” because you want to make sure that all of your skills are listed—this ensures that it pops up when employers/recruiters do Internet searches.
Internet resumes should be left justified—no fancy formatting. Complicated formatting means the recruiter may have to fix it to fit a particular format before sending off to an employer—you don’t want to do anything that will hinder your resume from being one of the first seen.
When you apply for particular job openings, you will want to send in a version of your resume that is highly tailored to just that opening—making sure the skills they are looking for are written as close to the top as possible. Unless you have a technical resume, you will want to keep your resume to one page if possible, and don’t forget to list your achievements. If you are applying for a payroll job and haven’t done it in 20 years, make sure your skill or experience summary at the top lists “payroll” as one of your skills. Many employers/recruiters are so inundated with resumes for every job opening that they just don’t have the time or patience to read more than the top quarter of your resume to see if you have the skills they are looking for.
List a Job Objective?: If you list a job objective, you risk recruiters/employers thinking, “Well, this job isn’t an exact fit with this applicants objective—I don’t want to waste my time or theirs.” Even if it’s a general job objective, you risk killing valuable time getting to the point—that you have the exact skills they are looking for. If recruiters/employers don’t see what they are looking for immediately, they will quickly move onto the next resume in hopes of getting out of the office in time to meet their friends for dinner.
Buzzwords needed for online resumes: Keep in mind that a recruiter may not fully understand the job opening they are trying to fill. If an employer states they want someone with Excel skills, don’t just write that you know Microsoft Office--be specific and state Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint, etc. If you have been trained in a skill, but haven’t used it, simply state, “Training in Access,” etc. This way, your resume will still pop up if Access is a required skill. The employer may overlook that you haven’t used it on the job if the rest of your skills are in line with their requirements. And, although your skills may not be strong enough for the current opening, you may just be a perfect fit for one they know will become available in the future.
Your contact information: Make sure you don’t give them an e-mail address that leaves a bad impression, such as kinkymomma@kinky.com and when recruiters/employers call your phone number, make sure they don’t get an answering machine message that sounds unprofessional (I have often called young people and heard a suggestive message or song).
You will want to post your resume, curriculum vitae, or brief profile on several different sites. I recommend posting your profile on the following:
LinkedIn: This is a good site for professionals who want to find each other and employers post job openings there. Many potential employers will look to see if you are profiled there, so make sure you keep it up to date. There are interest groups that you can join to discuss job openings or give and get advice. To sign up for your free account, visit linkedin.com and follow the directions.
Jobcentral.org: Employers can look at resumes on this site at no cost. Job seekers often overlook this site.
Craigslist.com: Employers can look at resumes on this site at no cost (but you do risk receiving a lot of spam when you post your resume there—however, you might just get lucky).
Google: You can let the public know where to find your website by creating a public profile at: google.com/profiles?edit=f
Trade Organizations: Join the major trade organizations in your industry. Most have a web page for listing member profiles.
College Career Service Centers: Your schools probably list the profiles of alumni. Contact your school’s career office in case they have any program to help their alumni.
Your personal website: You should have one if possible. Show yourself as an expert in your field and post your resume—it may just pop up if a recruiter does a Google search looking for resumes.
Careerbuilder.com, monster.com, Kelly Services, Manpower: Many companies have an account with these sites—it does cost them to look at your resume there, and you will be competing with a lot of other resumes, but it is still worth your effort to be there.
Industry-related resume database sites: Do a search to find out what they are and get listed with them.
Indeed.com: You can’t post your resume there, but they take a lot of job openings from several different sites and put them in one place. I’m not sure if they pick up the job openings on Craigslist.com, so you will need to keep looking there as well.
Hidden Job Market—why active networking is critical
Despite the convenience of job hunting on the Internet, networking is still the most important way to reach potential employers–many job openings are filled before they are ever posted. You must make new contacts daily if possible, and let established ones know you are looking for work.
Set a goal for yourself on how many contacts you will make a day—and make sure you keep track of who you contacted, their contact info, and what was said.
Ways to enlarge your network of contacts is to join or simply attend the events hosted by organizations such as the Chamber of Commerce, Business Associations, and Rotary Clubs—because businesses and non-profits belong to them. Visit the Chamber of Commerce to find your local chapter and networking events. Rotary Clubs will also be listed when you do an online search for them.
Tell everyone you know and meet that you are looking work. If you don’t know them that well, it is best just to ask if they have any advice on where to look or how to stand out among the other applicants—that way they won’t feel that you are “using” them for any connections they may have.
At my first Chamber of Commerce “After Hours Event,” I met a female lawyer who, like me, was new to Mystic. We hit it off as friends and I invited her to my home for a social event. Through that party, she was invited to the home of my neighbor who introduced her to some people in her field of law. As a result, my friend is now practicing law again. You never know who you will meet when leave your computer and get out there!
“Networking is the most important thing you can do in a down market. Employers like to hire someone they know or someone recommended by someone they know,” said Dick Avazian, President of National Field Service Corporation, a personnel consulting and placement firm.
Avazian said, “Cold calling is also important. Get a list of businesses in the area and group them by proximity. Go into the lobby and ask to see someone in the HR Department. If you can't get up to see the HR Department, leave a resume and a calling card at the desk and ask them to deliver it to the HR Department. Call back in a couple of days to see if they got your resume and if there are any potential openings in the future."
The HR Department will probably tell you to submit your resume online, but at least you have made a contact—and that person just may recommend you if they were impressed by your personality.
When I was a recruiter, it was unusual for a job seeker to drop into our office because initial contact was made through phone or e-mail. But occasionally a job seeker did come by and say something like, “I hope you don’t mind me stopping in, but I just wanted to make sure you received my resume.” Since that candidate took the trouble to come by, I felt I had to give their resume a bit more attention—I felt guilty otherwise! Of course it always helped if the candidate brought a hard copy with them so I wouldn’t have wade through the 100s on my desk.
How to Act at a Networking Event
In preparation for attending a gathering, have a business card made up. If possible, have a printer prepare a plain white linen one with raised lettering. The card should probably only list your cell and home phone numbers and e-mail address. If you are willing to consider a job outside of your field, you don’t want to pigeon hole yourself by listing your occupation on it. A good, high quality card leaves an impression about the quality of the work you perform.
When you meet people at networking events, ask them what they do first before discussing yourself. Ask them how long they have been at their job, current challenges in their industry, etc. Be more interested in them than trying to make them interested in you. Ask them for their card, and when they give it to you, really look at it and comment if possible. View these people as potential friends before considering them as business tools. People can sense whether or not you are genuinely interested in them. When they ask about you, tell them the kind of work you do in relation to how it benefits organizations—then let them know that you are looking for a job. Instead of asking them to help you get one, ask if they have any advice on where to look or how to stand out. Believe me, if you spent time showing an interest in them, they will spend some time considering you for any job openings at their organization or at their friend’s organization.
The day after the networking event, e-mail the people you met and say you enjoyed meeting them and that you will be happy to recommend their services to your friends. You can even suggest some free marketing ideas to help them reach more customers. I have a free handout, “How to Get Free Publicity,” available on my website at authorlisasaunders.com to help businesses gain media attention. You may want to send them the link to show that you are thinking about them.
Try to do occasional favors for those in your network by sending them business leads, customers, articles of interest, reporters looking for an expert source, etc.
When you feel ready to ask someone in your network for a favor, you can go beyond just asking them—also ask who they know and whether you can use their name.
Building a network of contacts is a continuous life-long project. You should keep working on the network long after your have achieved your immediate goal—because years later, you may be looking for work again—if not for you, then maybe for your child. Keeping your network intact means doing little things for them when the occasion arises.
A prospective employer may even want you if you have a large collection of contacts because your contacts may mean increase their own business. Make sure you list any professional organizations you belong to on your resume—an employer will see them as potential contacts for them.
Freelance, Volunteer, Intern or Take Part-time Work While Waiting for Job Offer
If possible, don’t have a gap of unemployment or inactivity of more than a month on your resume. If you need to move into a new industry, seriously consider interning. You don’t have to be student to ask a company if they are willing to provide you with training while you are learning a new skill in a new industry. Although many internships are unpaid, there are several paid ones. Of course the real benefit of interning is that you are making new industry contacts, learning new skills, and increasing your chances of getting hired by the organization you are interning for. Aside from asking your chosen companies if you can intern with them, visit http://internship.com to find an internship near you.
While waiting for a job offer with benefits, show on your resume that you are working as an intern, independent consultant, freelancer, volunteer, part-time in anything, or enrolled in courses. The best kind of part-time/temporary jobs are ones where you are either working in your field of choice or where you are meeting people—like an exercise facility because many managers work out before or after business hours.
The worst thing you can do is look like you won’t work at a job that is beneath you and that you are content to sit home and earn unemployment. If an employer asks in an interview, “Are you willing to run down to the store to pick up milk if we run out?”, you should answer, “Absolutely!” Businesses can no longer afford to hire employees just to do the menial work. Show that you are willing to help wherever needed.
If you are performing freelance or temporary work in your field, it is better if you call yourself a freelancer or an independent consultant rather than calling yourself the “President” of your of company. If you are a “President,” an employer might think that you will be more interested in keeping up your own business rather than dedicating yourself to your employer’s business.
If you want to become an independent consultant or a freelancer while you wait for a job (or you want to try to make it on your own), many of these tips will help you entice clients to pay for your services.
Learn New Skills
Use your unemployment time to learn something new—by Googling a particular topic, you will find all sorts of resources. There are several free online ways to learn new software (like tutorials posted in Youtube or by the software designer), but it is best if you can take a course offered at your local college, unemployment office or library, because being in public increases your chances of networking yourself into a new job. When I was taking a course in journalism at the State University of New York at Rockland Community College at the age of 45, I wrote for the College’s newspaper, Outlook. I interviewed the Director of Campus Communications for a story on the graveyard located on campus, and during the interview, I mentioned I was looking to change my career from recruiter to professional writer. A few weeks later, she e-mailed me to say she just learned the campus writer was leaving and wondered if I would be interested. Yes, I was!
Interviewing
I recommend watching the following short "Interview Skills" video produced by the Rockland Community College Career Services Center. Visit: www.sunyrockland.edu/go/careers and scroll to bottom of page for the direct link to "Interview Skills Video” or go directly to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9W4SogHXhI
The following tips are largely taken from the above video:
Know about the company beforehand--annual revenue, recent news, etc.
Know yourself—strengths, skills, accomplishments. Be specific.
Dress: It is better be overdressed than underdressed.
Resume—bring extra copies on high quality paper.
Arrive 15 minutes early. If possible, do a dry run beforehand so you won’t get lost. Bring the interviewer’s phone number in case you are unavoidable detained in traffic.
Always be polite to the receptionist—if they like you, they will recommend you.
Don’t arrive with a coffee cup in your hand and turn off your cell phone.
Firm handshake—but not crushing.
Prepare for commonly asked questions, plus ones like, “Give an example of an extremely difficult situation and how you handled it.”
Don’t use clichés like team player, hardworking, and multi-tasker. Just give concrete examples of the kind of worker you are.
Know what your weaknesses are—you will probably be asked. But conclude with specific examples of how you are working to improve.
Don’t cross your arms, slouch or do anything that will make you appear uninterested or defensive.
Ask questions about the job, the company, and when they expect the fill the position--but don’t ask about salary and benefits during the initial interview.
Handwrite or e-mail a thank you note afterwards, but don’t stalk them with constant e-mails.
Keep Hope Alive!
If you have been unemployed for a while and have endured countless rejections, watch movies that feature inspirational true stories like “Cinderella Man” with Russell Crowe, “The Pursuit of Happiness” with Will Smith and “Rudy” with Sean Astin. If you find yourself drowning in humiliation from the repeated rejection, remember the line from the Tom Cruise movie, “Jerry Maguire,” when he says, “It is an up-at-dawn, pride-swallowing siege…,” if doing so makes you feel less alone in the world!
Whenever I feel hope evaporating over a long season of trial and tribulation, I read the Book of Psalms to commiserate with other distressed people—misery does love company! The Psalms will remind you why you should keep your hope alive and persevere.
Are You Willing to Speak Publicly?
Offering to share your knowledge for free is a great way to network your way into your next job or make contact with potential clients if you are trying to start a business.
Contact women’s clubs, Rotary Clubs, church groups, etc., and offer your services as a speaker on any topic you may know about either through research or personal experience. Give a talk on “How to Use Your Digital Camera”; “How to Put a Video on Youtube”; “Major Historical Events in Your Area”; etc.
I am considering starting a Speakers Bureau. If you would like to be added to my list of speakers, contact me at lisasaunders42@gmail.com
Are You a Writer?
If so, interview employers for newspaper/magazine/online media—you will endear them to you.
Gather the e-mail addresses of daily and weekly newspapers, trade magazines, broadcast media, online publications, and relevant organizations, and ask them if they would like you to interview the presidents of organizations and other employees of an organization about any particular topic—like their advice on how to get a job, how they rose to the top, about their latest initiatives, etc. You don’t have to be a writer to conduct an interview if you are allowed to follow a question and answer format. People love to be interviewed--and will remember you the next time they hear of a job opening--and the media need writers who will work for free. Tell the media you can also take a photo of the subject (or ask the subject for a photo of themselves that they like but be sure to give photo credit to whoever took it). If you can attach a digital image of the person you are highlighting, you dramatically increase the chances of getting your interview published (publications need images and most can’t afford to hire photographers).
I have written a free e-book, “How to Get Published,” which is available at https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/3053
Get Your Name Recognized
As a result of writing and organizing events, when people hear my name, they say, “I’ve heard of your name somewhere.” Authoring articles, “Letters to the Editor,” and books gives you credibility in the eyes of the public and provides you with a free way to advertise yourself.
Periodically write articles and/or post to your blog any new developments in your field (for your blog, you can write a line to two about something you read and then link to the actual news story) and any work—paid or unpaid-- you have done in your field. If people find your “new developments” or “how to” information helpful, they will send it to their friends, post it on Facebook, their blogs, etc.
Aside from trade organizations, you can submit your articles to your local weekly newspapers, which are always looking for free material and to the following online sites such as: ezinearticles.com; ehow.com; articlefield.com; and articlesbase.com. Once it is posted there, it is often republished by several other bloggers and websites.
Send “Letters to the Editor” to local or relevant publications. They are often published and the public does read them.
Also, make yourself available as a quotable source for writers and reporters by signing up to receive daily online queries at: http://www.helpareporter.com. If you can’t provide an expert quote on a particular topic, send the query onto someone in your network of friends and associates—they will appreciate you thinking of them.
You can self-publish an e-book online on sites such as: smashwords.com-- books on that site don’t have a minimum length and you can make them available for free if you feel your book will lead employers to consider you as an employee. For hard copies of a book that you may want to distribute as your “calling card,” you may want to consider “print-on-demand” (POD) sites like lulu.com or createspace.com. POD is good if you don’t need a lot of copies. Traditional printers are usually cheaper per book if you order 1,000 or more copies.
To actually sell your book, you will need to give lectures and follow the good promotional advice found in online book marketing newsletters such as publicityhound.com/ and u-publish.com/ Social media is very important when trying to sell books.
Social Media
Social media such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, blogs, etc., will give you the capability to “chat,” which can eventually turn into a job offer.
The key to gathering an audience and friends for your social media sites is to let people know you exist and that your site is either fun or helpful. Once you sign up for your free account, the site provides you with ways to contact associates and locate potential “fans.” To keep people reading your site, don’t be overly self-promotional. Be an online resource about topics of interest to your audience and don’t be afraid to link to someone else’s helpful information (as long as it doesn’t drive your potential employers or clients to them). Be the “go to” site when people have needs. If you develop a following that trusts you, they will consider you for employment or recommend you to others.
Among the most popular social networking sites are:
Facebook: This is a good site for non-profits, museums, groups that hold events, and anyone who wants to gather friends or followers. You can set up your profile, or if you are promoting your business, you will set up a “page.” Facebook allows you to make very short comments about what you or your organization is up to and can be set up to send invitations to inboxes. To sign up for your free account, visit facebook.com and follow the directions.
Twitter: This is a good site for news organizations, non-profits, towns and schools. You are given space for very short comments. You can set up Facebook to transfer what you say there to go automatically to your Twitter account, saving you time. To sign up for your free account, visit twitter.com and follow the directions.
Blogs: “Blogging” is good for anyone who can write “how to” articles and stories. The advantage of blogs is anyone can read it without needing their own blog account. Blogs look a lot like a website except they are more of a newspaper with generally only one columnist—you. You can write as many words as you like in each of your articles. They appear in date order, so whenever people visit your site, they will see your most recent thoughts. There is also some interaction on a blog because your readers can post comments on it. You decide if you like their comments enough to publish them on your site. Although a blog can be time consuming, you can always send potential employers/clients to an article you’ve written. You can also eventually gather your blog posts into a book, which can give you credibility in your field. To sign up for a free account, visit sites such as blogspot.com and wordpress.org and follow the directions.
To keep up-to-date on social media developments, see the information provided on each site and read the helpful articles posted on http://mashable.com; http://techcrunch.com; http://readwriteweb.com; www.allfacebook.com; and www.diosacommunications.com
Don’t have time to promote yourself?
You may contact me for my advice and list of services at lisasaunders42@gmail.com
For a reasonable rate, I can initiate and maintain your LinkedIn, Facebook, etc., help you post your resume or secure speaking engagements.
Good luck on your job search!
About Lisa Saunders
Lisa Saunders lives with her husband and beagle/basset hound in Mystic, CT. A writer and publicist, she gives talks on how to get free publicity; how to get a job, the American Civil War, sightseeing in Mystic; how to prevent the #1 birth defects virus, CMV (cytomegalovirus), and the “back story” to her books, which include:
Anything But a Dog!, Lisa’s memoir that recounts the unusual events that brought a homeless, 100-pound dog to the side of her younger daughter, born disabled by CMV. If purchased through the link to the National Congenital CMV Disease Registry and Research Program, a percentage is donated directly to CMV research and parent support. Visit: http://www.unlimitedpublishing.com/cmv/
Shays’ Rebellion: The Hanging of Captain Henry Gale, a short e-book that details the dramatic events surrounding a Revolutionary War veteran (Lisa’s ancestor), sentenced to hang for treason as a result of his leadership role in Shays’ Rebellion.
Ever True: A Union Private and His Wife, which also appears as a one-act play, is based on the love letters of Lisa’s great-great grandparents during the American Civil War.
Ride a Horse, Not an Elevator, a children’s novel based on Lisa’s childhood as a chubby city girl with a beagle named Donald Dog. Lisa and Donald Dog visit her grandparents’ farm in upstate New York where they find outhouses, charging cows and ornery horses. Includes grandma’s recipes and is a great read-aloud for schools and families.
Lisa’s free e-books, How to Get Published and The 7 Wonders of Mystic--Mystic Pizza and Beyond! are available by clicking on their titles.
To see a list of Lisa’s publications, workshops, and latest ideas, visit her at www.authorlisasaunders.com