"Tough Love" Advice on Why Your Job Search Isn't Working

MSN Careers, one of my favorite sites for career and job seeking advice, has this article from Careerbuilder posted today.

10 Reasons Your Job Search is Failing
By CareerBuilder.com writer

On paper, the prescription for unemployment is rather formulaic: send in résumé, go on interview, be your charming self, get hired.

The frustrating reality isn't nearly as simple. Getting an interview alone is an exercise in persistence and patience.

Here are 10 reasons for why you're not landing that interview and what you can do to reverse the trend.

Your résumé and cover letter are as articulate as Courtney Love's Web blog. If your application materials contain typos, grammatical errors and irrelevant or inconsistent information, employers will take notice -- in a bad way. Once you've looked over your résumé and cover letter to the point of dementia, take this advice from Joyce Gioia of the Herman Group: have three people, for whom English is a first language, review your résumé and cover letter before you send it.

Your cover letter is generic. Make it personal by tailoring it to the particular job and addressing it to a person, not "To Whom It May Concern." And include a sentence or two about how you are the right fit for that particular job. If no contact is listed, take the initiative to find out who the hiring manager is by searching the company's Web site or calling the reference desk.

Your letter is a CliffsNotes version of your résumé. Instead of simply restating what's on your résumé, include new information like how you found out about the job, why you want to work there and what you can do for them. Finally, close with something that will encourage a response, such as a request for an interview.

Your letter exudes self-consciousness, not self-confidence. If you don't feel qualified for a job, why are you applying for it? Don't call attention to your shortcomings in a letter; emphasize your strengths by focusing on your skills, experience and ability.

You cross the line from sounding confident to sounding cocky. Don't mistake selling yourself with bragging. Putting "I would be an asset to your company" in your cover letter catches the eye; writing "You would be crazy not to hire me" turns the stomach.

Your MySpace page lists "binge-drinking" as a favorite pastime. Don't post anything on a publicly accessible Web site that you wouldn't want a potential employer to see. Not all hiring managers run searches on job candidates, but some do, and it's better to err on the side of caution. Google yourself to see what comes up, because recruiters will see the same results.

You assume e-mail is enough. Hitting the send button on an online application is only the first step in landing an interview. For one thing, not every e-mail is received or read. Try following up your application by sending a paper résumé and cover letter via snail mail (indicating you've already applied online). After that, call the hiring manager to see that they've received your application and check on the status of the job in question.

You assume the Internet is enough. The majority of all employment opportunities aren't advertised, so be proactive: Contact human resources managers at companies you want to work for inquiring about positions available; register with a job recruitment agency; attend industry events to stay on top of news; and devote energy to meeting like-minded professionals who will be the keys to discovering more opportunities.

You misrepresent yourself. It may sound like a no-brainer, but misrepresenting yourself on a résumé is bound to catch up with you. Upon performing a reference check, Denise Moorehead, communications director of a non-profit service agency in Boston, once discovered a job candidate had left her previous job a year earlier than she'd admitted. It turned out that the candidate had gotten burned out and decided to take a year to temp and regroup, but thought the obvious employment gap would be held against her, so she simply lied about it. "I figured if she'd lie about something this easy to explain, she might lie about the deadline-driven work she would have to do with me," Moorehead says.

You give up. Remember that looking for a job is a full-time job. If you're not hearing back from employers, considering changing your strategy. Experiment with different cover letters, revise your résumé on a regular basis and look for opportunities to add to your experience even when you're not working (i.e. taking classes, participating in workshops, volunteering).

"Minding the Gap" When Returning to the Workforce

The recruiters here at DISCOVER STAFFING are always talking to individuals who have been out of the corporate world for one reason or another and are now looking to return. Here is an article from JobBound that gives some practical advice for how to tackle a resume with gaps of employment.

Mind the Gap: Tips for Re-entering the Workforce
by Brad Karsh, President, JobBound

It’s perceived to be one of the most difficult transitions in life: rejoining the workforce after an extended layoff. Maybe you were raising your children, maybe you were caring for a relative, or maybe you were downsized and had trouble finding a job. In any case, it’s a daunting proposition to pull out the business suit, polish up the resume and start looking for a job.

To be sure, it’s not an easy task, but if you prepare appropriately, and attack the search smartly, it’s not as intimidating as you may think.

With the right Mindset, the proper downtime Approach, and some specific Strategies, you can get back out there and land work.

The Mindset
You have a gap in your resume.

So what!

There is this obsession that having a gap in your resume is a horrible sin. It’s not. The fact is, it’s incredibly common these days. Layoffs unfortunately are an everyday occurrence. Work/life balance awareness has increased to the point where more people are taking time off for personal reasons.

Twenty years ago, the typical job situation had the male breadwinner getting a job out of college and spending the rest of his career working for one company until his gold-watch retirement party at age 55.

Those days are long gone.

There’s no need for you to be shy about the fact that there’s a gap in your resume. You are part of a large and growing population of job seekers that have taken time off for a variety of reasons. There’s no need to fret.

The Approach
The biggest issue that employers have with employees returning to the workforce is their perceived lack of being "out of the game." Technology, industry trends, and job skills can all change rapidly over the course of a couple of years.

As such, you want to make sure that you can show your aptitude in some of these areas. Take computer classes, get involved with trade organizations, and stay abreast of industry happenings by reading trade publications during your time off. It does take some time, but not nearly as much as working full time.

Then when it comes time to interview you’ll be able to say something like, "I knew it would be important for me to stay current on my computer skills, so I took classes in the most recent version of Microsoft Office while I was taking care of a relative."

The Strategy
Packaging your "gap" in a resume or on an interview takes careful consideration. Don’t try tricks like changing dates or writing about how you honed your managerial skills negotiating with three children under the age of ten. Recruiting Directors simply want to know that you’re in the game and ready to contribute.

Of course it would always be ideal to be able to tell your story in person, but often you don’t have the luxury of meeting someone face to face. As such, the cover letter becomes a great tool to let a potential employer know about your resume gap and why it’s not a big deal.

Mention why you’re reentering the workforce now
"I had always wanted to return to the workplace, and now that my children are in school full-time, it’s the perfect opportunity."

Talk about how you stayed in the game
"I wanted to stay involved in nonprofit as much as I could after our company closed our office, so I’ve volunteered at the American Cancer Society and took an online class in development."

Ultimately it’s not going to be easy to get back out there. But with the right game plan, it doesn’t have to be as difficult as you think.

How To Get Your Resume Noticed

Yahoo! Hotjobs has posted this great article including tips to getting your resume noticed.


Be Gutsy at Work
12 Tips to Get Your Resume Noticed
by: Tory Johnson

Gone are the days of simply mailing your resume, receiving a call, shaking hands at the interview, and agreeing on a start date for that new job. The Internet has taken over the recruiting landscape, and everyone is required to submit a resume online. While that brings greater efficiency to the process for employers, it can be awfully maddening for job seekers. But it doesn't have to be that way if you know how to navigate the system.

Consider these 12 tips before pressing "submit" to send your resume:

1. Search job boards and the websites of employers that appeal to you. Print out the job postings that you're interested in pursuing before you apply.

2. Use a highlighter to mark the keywords and industry language used to describe the requirements and responsibilities.

3. Compare those words and phrases to the language that appears in your current resume.

4. Figure out how and where to add the most relevant keywords to your resume, assuming you have the specific knowledge, skills, and experience. Applicant tracking systems will search for keyword matches -- the more matches, the better, which often determines if a recruiter opts to view your resume.

5. Once you're confident that your resume reflects a strong match, go ahead and submit that targeted resume online.

6. If the system requests a cover letter, write a short one that expresses why you're a strong match and why you'd like to join the organization. This is a chance to tout your research on the role.

7. Never submit a generic, one-size-fits-all resume or cover letter. If you really want the position, you'll customize all documents for each job.

8. Once you apply, get to work to find an internal referral to make a personal introduction. Here's how:

Make a list of 50 people you know and ask each one if they know someone who works (or has worked) at that employer.

Attend job fairs to meet face-to-face with employers and other professionals.

Create a free profile and become active on LinkedIn.com or Facebook.com, which boast a combined 60 million users. Surely you can find someone who knows someone to make that connection.

Create a free Twitter.com account and "follow" friends and post requests for help. (You can follow me at Twitter.com/ToryJohnson where I post job leads and where fellow followers can help with contacts.)

Join an association in your field and network with like-minded peers.
Connect with your high school and college alumni groups. Old pals could be new connectors.

Talk to your unlikely network. For example, look at the class list of the parents of your kids' friends. Anytime my kids hear about a friend's mom or dad who's lost a job, they tell them to call me. Even though we don't know each other, we have a common connection that can sometimes lead to a contact.

9. Follow up with a call or email to the recruiter responsible for filling the position. Never say, "Did you get my resume?" Instead be ready to reiterate your strong qualifications and interest in the role. You'll have just a brief moment to sell yourself, so rehearse before making the call or sending the email.

10. Don't know the name of the right person? Cold-call the company and ask an operator to put you through. If that doesn't work, do a Web search on the term "recruiter" or "HR director" along with the name of your employer of choice. The results may reveal the name you're trying to find. LinkedIn is another resource to find the correct name.

11. Stay top of mind. Every recruiter is different, which makes this a challenge. Some say you're welcome to follow up weekly. Others say every other week is enough. And then there are some who'll tell you to never call. Find the right balance so you're politely persistent without crossing over to a pest.

12. Ask directly for advice on how and when to follow up. A simple question, "What's the best way to keep in touch?" will give you the details you need to stay ahead of the pack.


Tory Johnson is the CEO of Women For Hire and the Workplace Contributor on ABC's "Good Morning America." Connect with her at womenforhire.com.
The opinions expressed in this column are solely the author's.

Writing Cover Letters

MSN Career and Careerbuilder have presented this article on writing a perfect cover letter.

Write a Winning Cover Letter in 15 Minutes
By Selena Dehne, JIST Publishing

Most job seekers know that to land an interview they need more than a strong résumé. They need a well-written cover letter to go with it. That doesn’t stop them from trying to brainstorm any excuse they can to avoid having to write one.

Yet, skipping this critical step in the job search is one of the worst faux pas a job seeker can make.

"Job seekers should never send a résumé to someone without explaining why," says Michael Farr, author of "The Quick Résumé & Cover Letter Book".

"Whether you’re mailing, faxing or e-mailing your résumé, it’s important to provide a cover letter with it. Even when you post your résumé to a job bank or employer Web site, the site often has a place where you can upload or paste a cover letter. The fact is most employers expect candidates to send both."

Writing a cover letter shouldn’t be difficult or time consuming, even though many job seekers mistakenly believe it is. If a person has 15 minutes to spare, he has enough time to write a cover letter, according to Farr.

Fifteen minutes?!

"You can write a cover letter that is personal and effective in about 15 minutes. It may take you longer at first, but after a few times, you should understand the process well enough that you’ll be able to quickly create the letter, review it and send it to employers," says Farr.

His process for crafting a quick and effective cover letter includes the following steps:

Write to a particular person
Whenever possible, avoid writing “To whom it may concern” or other impersonal openings. Instead, make an effort to find out who the hiring manager is. Call the company or research on the Web. In the case of a “blind ad,” a generic salutation will have to do.

Provide a friendly opening
In addition to stating why they have sent their résumé and cover letter, job seekers should remind the reader of any prior contact they may have had. For example, "I am following up on the brief phone chat we had earlier today," or "I enjoyed our conversation at the recent CPA Society meeting and, as you suggested, I am forwarding my résumé with this letter of interest in joining your organization."

Personalize your content
Job seekers should steer clear of merge mailings that allow them to send the exact same letter to multiple employers. Hiring managers can see right through these and are seldom impressed. It’s important that whoever receives the letter believes it was written specifically to him.

Target your skills and experience
Include any relevant background or achievements that may be of particular interest to the employer. To know which details to include, job seekers must have a little knowledge about the organization. This can be gathered from Internet research or talking with people who are familiar with the organization or its staff members.

Close with an action statement and contact information
Never leave it up to the employer to make the next step. Job seekers should express an interest for further contact and say which steps they will take next. For example, "I will contact you next week to request an interview for current or future positions. Feel free to contact me sooner at (555) 348-7987."

Once the letter has been written, proofread it several times and gather feedback on it from other people. Next, choose which method—mail, fax or e-mail—is most likely to quickly get the cover letter and résumé to employers.

Most importantly, don’t forget to follow up once the résumé and cover letter have been sent!