How to Quadrupal Your Chances of an Interview by Martin Yate, CPC

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This article is posted with permission from the author.

How to Quadruple Your Chances of an Interview
By Martin Yate, CPC
Author of Knock ’em Dead: Secrets & Strategies for Success in an Uncertain World

The more ways you approach your target companies and hiring managers, the faster you will get into conversation with the people who can and will hire you. Let’s say you respond to a job posting by uploading your resume; that gives you one chance of getting an interview. You can quadruple your chances of an interview if you also: 

• E-mail your resume directly to the manager by name with a personalized cover letter. This alone will double your chances of an interview. 

• Send a resume and personalized cover letter to that manager by traditional mail, and you will triple your chances of an interview. Don’t smirk at the idea of traditional mail. We all like a break from the computer screen, so delivering your sales message and resume this way can be very effective. When you do this, note in the cover letter that you sent the resume by e-mail and that this additional approach is because you are really interested in the company and “wanted to increase my chances of getting your attention.” Doing this demonstrates that you are creative and not a technological Neanderthal. 

• Make a follow-up telephone call to that manager first thing in the morning, at lunchtime, or at 5:00 P.M. (when he is most likely to be available and picking up his own phone) and you will quadruple your chances of an interview. 

Remember, a successful job search is all about getting into conversation with people in a position to hire you as often as possible. The more frequently you get into conversation with managers whose job titles signify that they have the authority to hire you, the faster you will land that new position, because you have skipped right over the hurdle of being pulled from the commercial resume database; you have sidestepped the corporate recruiter’s evaluation process, and as a result you have the attention of the actual decision-maker and the chance to have a conversation, to make a direct and personal pitch. 

Getting a resume to someone by name with a personalized pitch gives you a distinct advantage, never more important than when the economy is down or in recovery. At such times your competition is fierce and employers actually do recognize and appreciate the initiative and motivation you display by doing these things, especially picking up the phone and calling: All these approaches act as differentiating factors in your candidacy. 

The above is an excerpt from the book Knock ’em Dead: Secrets & Strategies for Success in an Uncertain World by Martin Yate, CPC. The above excerpt is a digitally scanned reproduction of text from print. Although this excerpt has been proofread, occasional errors may appear due to the scanning process. Please refer to the finished book for accuracy.

Copyright  © 2011 Martin Yate, CPC, author of Knock ’em Dead: Secrets & Strategies for Success in an Uncertain World

Author Bio
Martin Yate, CPC, author of Knock ’em Dead: Secrets & Strategies for Success in an Uncertain World, is a New York Times and international bestseller of job search and career management books. He is the author of 11 job search and career management books published throughout the English speaking world and in over 50 foreign language editions. Over thirty years in career management, including stints as an international technology headhunter, head of HR for a publicly traded company and Director of Training and Development for an international employment services organization.Within the profession he has a global reputation as the thought leader on job search and career management issues. He has lectured on four continents and has maintained a coaching practice since 1991.

The current recession is the 5th he has helped people navigate over the last 30 years.

For more information please visit http://www.knockemdead.com and follow the author on Facebook and Twitter

A Heart-Warming Story

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A blog entry from Martin Yate called Put Joy in Your Life is touching and on the surface seems to have nothing to do with the job search.

But putting aside the fact that Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world, is playing merely for fun, let’s stretch our imagination and envision some analogy to the job search.

Maybe a lesson about being unsuccessful because of poor marketing and the inability to sell oneself. Joshua only made a handful of money.

“After 45 minutes of continuous playing: Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while. About 20 gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace. The man collected a total of $32,” writes Martin.

If we thing long and hard, we could think of some way to relate the story to the job search. The inability to understand one’s audience; as in poorly written or verbal communications.

This could be a lesson on being the most qualified person for the job (the guy’s world famous) but not getting it because he’s playing to the wrong audience. Obvious. 

But I’m sure our analysis of the story would trivialize it and probably make a mess of the message Martin is trying to send.

Read the story on Martin’s blog and you may ask, “Why is it posted on Knock ‘Em Dead’s blog?” On the other hand, it may hit you like a brick and make complete sense…it’s just an awesome story about a man having some fun.

3 Easy Ways to Overcome the Challenge of Resume Writing by Laura Smith-Proulx

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Trying to get your job search off to a strong start – only to be hampered by the resume-writing process?

Do you struggle to articulate the high points of your career and brand – or to sum up the reasons you should be considered over others?

If so, you have plenty of company, especially if your career is at the executive or senior professional level. Many leaders have discovered that it’s easier to actually drive change, improve company operations, or transform revenue performance than it is to write about it.

Here are 3 main reasons why resume writing can be difficult–followed by 3 simple ways to make the process easier:

1 – You’re too close to the subject.

Most executive leaders and skilled professionals are subject matter experts in all types of leadership competencies, from strategic planning to team delegation.

However, when asked to describe their strengths, most of them will resort to tactical or skills-based descriptions, rather than illustrating the ways in which they add strategic value.

You’re naturally good at what you do, but telling your story requires a higher level of analysis—a process that most executives and senior-level professionals don’t think to undertake for themselves.

2 – Marketing copy isn’t your strong suit.

Most COOs spend their time ensuring that costs are reined in and that the company’s infrastructure will support growth, while sales managers are assessing the competition, CEOs are busy forming strategic forecasts, accountants are closing the books, IT Managers are negotiating with vendors, and CIOs are dealing with the rising costs of technology.

Of course, these activities leave precious little time to become well-versed in marketing.

Even if marketing campaigns ARE part of your leadership role, you’ll still find that it’s much harder to create promotional copy when the product is YOU.

3 – You haven’t created your personal brand message.

As with any type of promotion, branding is a key element of marketing. When it comes to job search, your personal brand is basically the value proposition and reputation that you’ve forged throughout your career.

Even if you’re in touch with what your value-add means to your next employer, it’s difficult to articulate it for others to read! It’s even harder to translate your personal brand into the context of a cohesive executive or professional resume.

Now, here are some tips to help with the process of writing about yourself:

• Ask colleagues about what they see as your most valuable accomplishments and proficiencies. What compliments do you receive on your work?

• Consider looking at executive or professional resume examples, which are readily available online, to get an idea of the marketing style that appeals to employers in today’s job market. How does yours stack up?

• Talk to past supervisors to find out the strengths you brought in your job. What were the key reasons for your past promotions?

• After putting together a draft of your resume, show it to others. What do THEY think you’re missing about your own message?

In summary, writing your resume can seem like the most challenging part of your job search. However, don’t give up and just list your duties!

Instead, spend some time figuring out how to frame your most valuable achievements and brandin a way that captures (and holds) employer interest.

 
Posted by Laura Smith-Proulx, CCMC, CPRW, CIC
 
This article was posted with the author’s permission.

Talking about Ageism: Three Pieces of Advice from Matthew Levy

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I was searching around LinkedIn for some questions to answer. It’s been awhile and I miss my old routine of answering tons of questions. I came across a great question from Matthew Levy on ageism, but instead of answering his question, I decided to write this blog article in response to a very important topic—ageism and how to break down the barrier of age discrimination.

Let me start by saying that Matthew’s article was very insightful, albeit lengthy even for a verbose writer as myself. He suggests three methods for the 40+ crowd to use in combating possible age discrimination. The first method he talks about is modifying your appearance to make you appear younger. Second, he urges you to dive into social media; and third, he advises a strategic approach to writing a résumé.

Modifying one’s appearance. Matthew writes that one day he advised a gentleman to shave his beard, which according to Matthew, took five years off the man’s appearance.

I also witnessed a man who had shaven his beard and took years off his appearance. For some men it’s hard letting go of a beard he’s had for a good part of his life; but once the job is secured, the beard can return.

Matthew also suggests modifying other aspects of your appearance: eyeglasses; hair color; make-up; clothing, e.g., suits, blouses, skirts, et cetera.

Embracing social media. Using media like LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube to network puts you in the company of Y-generation jobseekers.

I lead workshops at an urban career center, where I see many mature workers. These folks attend my LinkedIn workshop and are excited at the prospect of getting online, or if already there, enhancing their online footprint.

“If you stay in the dark by resisting change and new technologies, the Millennials (who are interviewing you, recruiting you and referring you) might typecast you as ‘behind the times’ and ‘set in your ways,’” Matthew writes.

How true and scary.

Don’t show too much work history on your résumé. Matthew advises that jobseekers keep their work history within 20 years due to relativity, which is sound advice. But I say keep it within 15 years, as 20 years already dates you at least 43 years-old. The bottom line is why kill your chances of getting to the interview? Once at the interview you can sell yourself, thus negating your age.

Other smart suggestions Matthew offers are to remove graduation dates from your education, applying more up-to-date fonts, eliminating an objective statement and “references available upon request,” and not limiting your résumé to one page. This may seem like simple advice, but appearance in every aspect counts when making a first impression.

Matthew gives older jobseekers some great commonsense advice, but I think encouraging them to join the social media party is the best advice of the three topics.

Incidentally, Matthew asks for other ideas to help older jobseekers in their job search. My piece of advice would be to enter an interview with a positive attitude. Think as though your 20 years younger than you are because what does age matter anyways?

Tailor Your Résumé: It’s Not a Swiss Army Knife

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Recently a jobseeker in my Résumé Writing workshop surprised me with an explosion of frustration. It bordered on anger. He certainly was incensed. I was talking about the importance of writing a tailored-made résumé for each job. He said, “You mean we have to write a separate résumé for every job? You can’t be serious.”

This was a moment for pause—pause is good when you want to make a point. “Why yes,” I said to him. “Because here’s the thing. Employer A has different needs than employer B, and employer C, and D, and E, and so on.” Your résumé needs to talk to the needs of each and every employer or it’s really doing you no good.

Whatever you to call it: “Cookie Cutter,” “Résumé in a Box,” “One-Fits-All,” this lack of concerted effort demonstrates to the employer that she’s not special. You fail to highlight the outstanding accomplishments related to the job she’s offering. Sure, you list some outstanding accomplishments, but you’re making her hunt for them, making her work.

Martin Yate says it nicely in his blog . “Have you ever looked at a Swiss army knife? It’s got knife blades, bottle openers, screwdrivers…it does practically everything. But companies aren’t hiring human Swiss army knives. They are hiring human lasers, with exceptional skills focused in a specific area.”

Some jobseekers believe that employers want to see everything they’ve done in their many years of work, when in fact employers are more interesting in knowing that you can meet their specific needs, address their specific problems.

The only way to offer them a human laser rather than a Swiss Army knife is by understanding the nature of the job and the nuances of the company. This will require thinking like the employer, who when writing the job ad has some very important requirements in mind for the next candidate she hires.” This will require you to carefully dissect the ad and decipher the accomplishments.

Make the effort. Yate states that your résumé is your most important financial document. It determines the rest of your life.

Consider Your Phone Manners

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I’m in texting purgatory. My daughter and I are sharing a cell phone—it’s complicated—and I’ve been getting text messages from her friends almost every five minutes. I don’t want to respond to them. However, I want her friends to stop texting me…her. I wish I could leave a text announcement on my phone telling her friends that she is not available this week and to stop texting for the love of God.

This whole mess makes me think about how some jobseekers answer their phone, or the announcement they leave on their machine, and how important it is to do it right.

Answering the phone is crucial in making a great first impression. As a jobseeker you must consider that you’re on call every moment of the day and, in some occasions, evening. Sometimes there’s no telling when the phone interview will happen. This means you must be polite and upbeat 24/7.

If this is basic information to you, let me tell you about a time I called a customer of mine. When she answered my call, her tone was rude and she acted as if I was the last person she wanted to talk to. We chatted briefly and hung up. After, I thought that if I had been an employer, she never would have stood a chance.

On the other hand, I had a customer who answer the phone, “Good morning this is Jane Belle (not real name). How may I help you?” My goodness was I impressed. Her greeting was professional and her tone was upbeat and friendly. Had I been an employer, I would have invited her in for an interview for a job that didn’t even exist.

I’ve heard some cell phones that have a ring tone which plays Black Sabbath, AC/DC, Ozzie, or any rock band you’d like. “All aboard! Ha ha ha ha ha ha haaaa!” Cool? No; not cool. If you’re in the job hunt, get rid of the obnoxious ring tone. This includes any Looney Tune songs, an announcement that includes a rundown of your whole family and the family pet. Your phone announcement is a reflection on your personality. Instead, leave an announcement that is professional and to the point. Always state your name and telephone number so the potential employer knows she reached the correct person. Now is not the time to be secretive in fear of people actually knowing they reached the right person.

When you leave a voicemail on an employer’s phone, clearly announce your name and telephone number at the beginning of your message. Follow this with your reason for calling; and if you are applying for a job at the company, explain why you are the person they want. Include a brief commercial while you’re at it. Lastly leave your name and telephone number, speaking slowly and deliberately.

Finally, if you happen to reach the person with whom you’d like to speak, be prepared to talk with the person. Some employers answer their phone, believe it or not, particularly before and after working hours. The hiring manager may think her husband is calling at 6:00 pm, but the person calling could be you, the next one she hires.

There goes my phone again. I don’t know if I can leave an announcement on it; but if I could, I wouldn’t want to offend any of my daughter’s friends. That would be plain rude.

Be Polite, Send a Thank You to Those who Help You

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Sending a thank you letter is a no-brainer after an interview. But sending thank you letters or e-mails, or delivering verbal thank you messages are important when networking. I’ll have to admit that I’m guilty of not sending thank you notes to people who send me gifts. But I am better about sending thank you notes or e-mails to people who help me network.

As I’m gainfully employed and the nature of my job is about helping others find work, I can’t do it successfully without the help of employers who send me hidden job leads or other jobseekers who know of great opportunities.

A great networker I know. One quintessential networking jobseeker I know is someone who has been sending me job leads on a constant basis. So many, in fact, that I have a hard time posting them to our career center’s LinkedIn group. I don’t know if I’ve thanked enough, but he knows who he is.

In turn, I’ve tried to help him network. My efforts to help him have not been as profitable as I’d hoped. Many times I’ve driven home to work wondering how my friend has been doing in terms of the job search. He’s been very good about updating his progress, which according to all the pundits is the wisest thing to do. Keep those with whom you’re networking in the loop. This man has a will-not-die attitude, so I am confident he’ll eventually find a job.

A small act on my part: One day an acquaintance of mine who was laid off from a large defense company was here for an orientation. He updated me on his occupation and described his previous role at the company. A sharp woman who had switched from recruiting in the high-tech industry to the financial industry came to mind immediately, so I invited him into my office and gave her a call and they talked. Within a couple of days they had an interview planned, and within a week he had a job. I sent her a quick e-mail thanking her for her efforts in finding my acquaintance a job.

Why am I grateful for the time she took to interview and fight for my acquaintance? Because she was sincere and completely honest. I’m not stupid to think that she was being philanthropic—after all, it’s her job and she made some good money. All though, in the past she’s been a great friend to the career center by coming to speak about the job search. She wasn’t paid to speak at the career center, nor would she accept lunch from me, so her generous giving of time was much appreciated.

No big deal. Saying thanks, whether it’s in the form of a thank you card, an e-mail, phone call, or talking at a youth event is not hard to do; and the benefits are tremendous. Jobseekers who are frustrated with the job search must make a concerted effort to extend their gratitude to everyone involved in their job search, including the convenience store owner who says, “I was talking to someone who is looking for a MarCom writer. He was telling me the other day….”

Even though a lead might come from the most unlikely source, e.g. perhaps no one in your official network, you still must consider these folks part of the overall equation. What does it matter where you get your help from, as long as you get help? Thank yous all around, I say.

Is Your LinkedIn Photo Acceptable?

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I know there’s some debate around having a photo on your LinkedIn profile. The naysayers think it will contribute to age discrimination, and those in favor say it makes you more noticeable. I happen to agree with the latter; and those who heard my opinion on this when I first started leading LinkedIn workshops are probably thinking I’m a hypocrite—one person actually called me on it. Everyone, other than politicians, can change their opinions, right?

Basically there are five types of photos: the beautiful people, the ambiguous photo, the downright nasty, the silly photo, and the ugly grey box (no photo).

The Beautiful People. Are they really beautiful, or was their photo taken 15 years ago for the company tri-fold? That’s one question I have. I’m sure that there are some great looking people out there who are accurately representing themselves. But there was one time when I met a gentleman who looked nothing like his photo. I think he was trying to avoid age discrimination. To me, that’s devious and hurts you more than it helps.

At a recent networking event, I spoke to one woman about her photo, which was taken from too far a distance. I commented that she simply show her face and shoulders in her photo. I noticed the last time I looked at her LinkedIn photo she had followed my advice, and, boy, does her photo look great!

The Ambiguous Photo. I’ve decided my photo is ambiguous. Why, because I can’t tell what my photo says about me. It’s sort of blurry, the backgrounds not right, and my garb makes me look like I’m dressed at the moment—no tie. My goal was to appear professional. I should have worn a tie. Prior to this photo, I had a black and white one—an idea I stole from one of my colleagues—because my cheeks are too red and make me look like a tomato. Hers was black and white because she had pink hair at the time.

The Downright Nasty Photo. One photo comes to mind of a woman who looks like she would kill you as soon as look at you. You can see the anger in her face…and her anger comes out in her answers to questions on LinkedIn. Her photo is a true reflection of her personality. I would bet anything that she hates life. This is a difficult photo to discuss because the description is negative and I don’t like to criticize people who don’t know better.

I’m also not too fond of the serious, why-isn’t-he-smiling photo? Isn’t the idea to show your amiable self in your photo? Your photo is part of your branding statement, so it should demonstrate to employers and potential customers the inner beauty in you…or that you’re at least a likeable fella.

The Silly Photo. I’ve seen LinkedIn photos of caricatures, people sitting by their motorcycle, soccer balls, people standing on the beach, burning masks, and other silly representations of people. To this I say they’re not taking LinkedIn seriously or don’t want to spend the effort to have a quality photo taken of them, either professionally or by someone who has a decent camera.

The Ugly Grey Box. I think this is LinkedIn’s way of encouraging people to include a photo on their LinkedIn profile, and I think it’s a positive thing. When I see that ugly grey box, I have two reactions. One, I don’t immediately recognize the person, so I feel no real connection with them. Two, I think they’re hiding something which, incidentally, is how recruiters and employers feel. It’s immediate cause for suspicion. The fact is that the workforce is aging and most people working are mature workers. Although age discrimination exists, employers can’t afford to pass up talented older workers for younger, less experienced ones. Take a chance, all you grey heads, and post your photo on your profile.

What’s the Big Deal? People who are looking for a job need to take everything about their LinkedIn profile seriously, including their photo. In fact, even those who are gainfully employed have to present themselves in a favorable light. We are constantly networking. People who are out of work, employed, and own a business are on display. Networking is about connecting with others, right? Your photo is one way to do this.

An Account of how One Man Found a Job: What Worked and what Didn’t.

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The last time I saw Jim at our career center was in January of this year. We adjourned to my office where we looked over his résumé and LinkedIn profile. He had concerns about switching industries but knew he wanted to do the same work, Continuous Improvement Management.  

I’m ecstatic to say that Jim recently got a job in the industry he was pursuing. He announced his landing to me four months after we last met. When he thanked me for his help and encouragement, I asked him for a small favor—I wanted to know how he got his job. What follows is more than I expected as a response. Jim secured his job the Good Ole’ Fashion way, through hard work and diligent networking. Here’s his story:

Using LinkedIn worked.

Although LinkedIn is a great online networking tool, Jim used it primarily for research. He researched people of interest during his job search, including those he interviewed with and cold called. LinkedIn allowed him to research companies, using the Companies feature, and keep easy track of his targeted companies. He wisely joined a number of LinkedIn groups to identify companies that were hiring, learning about the latest technology, and some issues the companies had.

As well, Jim kept track of people who were viewing his profile, hoping to identify hiring managers at some companies for which he hoped to work. Lastly, he began to understand the importance of branding oneself using LinkedIn and will continue his branding endeavors.

Blasting out résumés didn’t work!

His initial goal was to send out 10 résumés per week, and he came close averaging 6.3. He felt this was a waste of time and did it only to meet unemployment requirements. Using this method to look for work yielded him one phone interview. There were some benefits, though; he learned what requirements employers had and targeted his résumés to each job for which he applied. He also learned to identify the companies that are involved in Lean Six Sigma and are growing rapidly.

Informational meetings worked.

Jim became a big fan of informational meetings, as they were great for learning about needs of the industry and/or specific companies, obtaining leads to companies that may have “hidden opportunities,” and developing a group of folks that he would often go back to for gathering vital information—particularly learning of solutions or strategies used to solve particular types of industry problems (e.g. increase the perception that he could help because he was familiar with industry techniques).

In addition, he used informational meetings to:  

  • Volunteer information that he uncovered about the industry in general.
  • Connect folks to someone who might be able to help them with an issue brought up in conversations. Pay it forward.
  • Provide expertise to solve a problem, mentor someone, or crunch numbers and put them in a user-friendly format.
  • Develop a sharing network for the future.

Researching companies websites worked.

Jim focused on investigating 10 companies per week. He would research two large companies (over 100 employees) per week and eight small ones. In reality, he investigated big ones only if he received a lead or submitted a résumé for a job board opening. He usually knocked off six small companies per week and feels that this will be his primary approach next time.

Making calls, albeit frustrating, worked.

Jim cold-called companies or went to their doors, acting like a reporter and/or sales person sometimes. This was very hard being rejected 80-90% of the time but paid the best dividends when successful. Here’s why:

  • He often got very good leads with other small companies (60+% success vs. 10% with large companies). The owners of these companies had large networks and often could provide contacts and information about numerous companies.
  • He was offered a number of short-term contract jobs which he politely refused.  In three instances, he volunteered his time to help with specific opportunities.  All those for whom he volunteered were willing to give him a reference and one actually knew his new boss. He believes this played a big part in being hired.
  • Four folks asked him to stay in touch, and he’s pretty confident that a fulltime or consulting opportunity will arise in the future.

Volunteering really worked! 

Jim used a not-for-profit Lean Six Sigma training and facilitation organization a lot while at his previous job and did a lot of things to support them, such as hosting tours and training sessions, running a booth at their shows, providing case studies, writing referrals, etc.  He writes that, “MY BIGGEST LESSON: YOU ARE INTERVIEWING EVERY MOMENT OF THE DAY.”

The not-for-profit organization got him twice as many real interviews via their network and their team pushing his name than everything else combined. They also allowed him to take $2,100 worth of six sigma classes while he was out of work and defer payment until he could afford it.

Networking ultimately worked!

Jim volunteered to coach and work one day a week for two different companies that had employees attending the six sigma classes. He worked days, nights, and weekends as necessary to support them while job hunting.

The Lean Six Sigma class instructor knew he was looking for a job and saw how hard he worked to support classmates and the two specific companies. The instructor was working one day per week at [the company for which Jim now works]. During one of his weekly trips, he proposed that the CEO hire a Continuous Improvement Manager full time and that the CEO plan long-term to promote this position to VP of Operations as the business grows.

After selling the CEO on the idea, he gave him Jim’s résumé and stated that Jim was the person that should be hired. Breakfast with CEO, Interviews with core team, and unsolicited calls from small business owners mentioned earlier all led to him obtaining a job.

 Jim is one of the brightest individuals to walk through the career center’s doors. He diligently attended workshops and worked with career advisors. But the thing that stands out for me about Jim is his positive attitude and never-say-die attitude. This type of thinking is perhaps the secret to success in the labyrinth of the job search.