Posted on January 16, 2008
Filed Under Job Seeking

Have you ever been at a social function or a networking event and had someone surprise you with a simple and direct question like, “So, what type of job are looking for?” – and then stumbled over your answer? We all have. Well, here’s a tip taken from the sales and entrepreneurial worlds – have an “elevator pitch” ready to whip out at a moment’s notice.

Most of you probably know the concept of an elevator pitch. It is a brief and concise overview that you could deliver in the time span of an elevator ride (say, thirty seconds or 100-150 words). The term is typically used in the context of an entrepreneur pitching an idea to a venture capitalist  or a sales rep who finds him/herself face to face with a decision maker.

So, why can’t a job seeker use the same concept? It’s powerful (and confidence-building) to be prepared to deliver your own personal elevator pitch.  How do you create one? First, write down the basics:

• Tell them what you want. Describe (as specifically as you can) what type of position you are looking for – and why.
• Emphasize what attributes make you unique. Think about your skill set, your experience, your education or training, personal characteristics, etc. Market yourself. Describe why you will be an asset to anyone you work for.
• Focus on the “take-away”. Hit the essentials. What is the key thing you want this person to take away from your conversation? If they had a position, would they be able to match you to it? Would they be able to accurately describe you to others?
• Ask for something. Do you want this person to consider you for a position? Do you want them to pass along your information to others? Don’t forget to offer them your contact information.

Next, (and this is the really hard part) boil it down to the key elements. If you’re like most of us, your first cut will probably be much longer than 60 seconds. Challenge yourself to get it down to under one minute. You will find that this exercise will force you to whittle your pitch down to the key essentials.

Finally, practice, practice, practice. Try it out on spouses or friends. Once you have the elevator pitch down cold you will be very confident in delivering it anytime, anywhere, and to anyone.

We’d love to hear your input on this. Share your ideas with us.

Posted on January 8, 2008
Filed Under Job Seeking

As the December issue of Human Resources Executive notes: “The percentage of recruiters using search engines to learn more about job candidates increased to 83 percent in 2007, from 75 percent two years earlier, while the percentage of recruiters who eliminated a candidate based on online information jumped to 43 percent, from 26 percent in 2005.”

Just think, almost all of the recruiters (and probably most company hiring managers) are checking you out on the Internet. What will they find? Will it change their perception of you in a positive or a negative way?

With this in mind, it’s critical that you get out ahead of them and proactively manage your online presence. Here are a few ways to make sure your online presence is aligned with your goals:

• Do an Internet search on yourself to see what comes up. You might be surprised! And don’t just do a simple first and last name search. Try adding your middle name, your middle initial, your maiden name, your hometown, names of cities in which you’ve lived before, etc. Also, use more than just one search engine – use Google, Ask, Yahoo, and others. All have proprietary search algorithms and will pull up different items in different order.
• Check your MySpace, FaceBook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and other social and business networking pages. Consider the material you have on the site – blogs, links, videos, pictures, everything. Ask yourself if these are the things you want recruiters and prospective employers to see about you. Could they reflect poorly upon the professional presence that you have worked hard to cultivate? Could they be misinterpreted by someone else? Set your accounts so that only your friends can view your profile, or turn them off during your job search.
• Look at this like a mini (yet important) research project. Think of other ways to find yourself online – do you post to discussion websites using your name? Published papers or articles? Placed your CV or profile or bio on a former employer’s webpage, etc.?

Make sure that your online self is reflective of how great you really are… and you’ll separate yourself from the stack.

Posted on January 4, 2008
Filed Under Job Seeking

You should always bring two things to your job interviews — a few copies of your resume and a notebook (oh yeah, don’t forget the pen).

The person that you are interviewing with likely has an electronic copy of your resume that they could easily print out, but don’t rely on them to do it.  Bring a few copies with you.

Make sure that you bring a notebook and pen to take notes during the interview.  It is always a nice touch to ask the interviewer, “If you don’t mind, I’d like to take some notes during our meeting… is that OK with you?”

The notebook can service a dual purpose — jot down important points and pearls of wisdom offered up by the interviewer, AND before your interview you can write down in your notebook the key points that you want to communicate during your interview.  When you’re in interview mode (and in the hot seat) it’s quite a challenge to remember the bullet points that you wanted to hit on.

Good Luck… go get ‘em!