Do you have a strategy for your job search or are you blindly sending out resumes? Do you know what you’re looking for or is your resume just being thrown out there in a “general” format? Your job search can’t be a game of Marco Polo, it has to be planned and orchestrated to be successful. You have to know what YOU want, to know which direction to go.

To decide, you need to sit down and look at what you doand don’t want from a job and a company. Do you want to head in a whole new direction? If so, what direction? Does your resume show this fact? If not, you need to sit down and make some changes. Your resume and job search has to have a target and it can’t "just" be to find a job. If it is, you will likely end up unhappy. Either with a job you hate or no job at all.

Once you know what you want to do, you’ll need to direct each resume submitted to the specific job you’re going to apply for. Look at the job description and that will likely give you the necessary information to highlight in your introduction and cover letter. They generally make it clear what they’re looking for when scanning or glancing at (and yes, glancing is what they are doing, so it MUST stand out).

You also need to understand that a job search takes time. Even committing several hours a week, it can take weeks to find a job, even months,but having a plan can speed the process by not wasting time. So, go out today and start drawing up a plan…

In your planning for your New Year’s job search have you done your homework? Simply posting a resume and waiting for a response isn’t close to being prepared for an effective job search. If you aren’t willing to put in as many hours on your search, as humanly possible, why should you expect a quick response? Successful job hunting, as with anything, takes research.

There’s no such thing as doing too much research. It’s better to take the time now, than to take a position that makes your life a living nightmare. All too often this happens when a job searcher grabs whatever is offered, without so much as looking up the company. Often reputations precede companies and you need to know you’re joining a reputable organization.

Make a list of the companies that you’d like to work for, read up on them, learn about their products and their goals, and whether they align with your goals. Once you’ve done the research and know that you and this company could be a nice fit, submit an introduction letter and your resume. You may just get your foot in the door before a position has even been posted. It will also make a great impression to know the company’s background in an interview and you’ll know how to market your abilities directly to them.

As the brilliant Benjamin Franklin said, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

As with job hunting any time of year, job hunting during the holidays takes planning and work. There’sa misconception that no one is hiring during the holiday season andit’s a mistake to think that way. People leave jobs year round, thereare even companies known for hiring additional help during the holidayand keeping the best after the season, it’s all a matter of how you approach your job search.

There are a number of ways you can prepare yourself for a successful search during the holiday season. Here are just a few that can assist in making it as successful, as any other time of year:

1. Use your holiday card list toalso touch base with former coworkers and employers. Don’t go intodetail in the card, just sending the card will remind them of you. In aweek or two give them a call and explain that you’re in the midst of ajob search, asking if they hearof any positions to let you know. Don’t be pushy, but they may know ofpositions that haven’t even been posted yet.

2. Don’t hesitate to also tell familyand friends that you’re looking for a job. Far too often, our friendsand family are the last people we tell, feeling like we should beashamed of it or that we’re imposing. Very often, they’re more thanwilling to give you leads, if they have them.

3. Do your research, looking at specific companies that you would like to work for and targetingyour resume/cover letter directly to them. General resumes can do moreharm than good. You have to aim for the target to hit the bullseye.

Most of all you need to stay positive, it is doable with some added effort. The holiday season is often when you’ll see family and friends that you don’t often see, reach out, you’ll be amazed at the good that can come of it.

The subject of lying on ones resume came up recently and felt that I needed to post on this issue. There are many that believe that "embellishing" their resume is perfectly acceptable, but I beg to differ. In many, if not most cases it is seen through by the individual reading the resume and when it isn't, can come back to haunt you. I've heard of cases where the detail that was embellished didn't apply to the position or job, but when the truth came out, the individual was fired on the spot for falsifying information (years after the fact). Yes, falsifying information is grounds for immediate dismissal.

Is your career worth the risk? No, it isn't! If you build a solid foundation of knowledge, develop a networking base, and have proper personal marketing skills you can get the job. It may not happen overnight, but it is far wiser to go at it honestly and be able to sleep at night, than taking such a serious career risk. Realize that personal marketing/job hunting takes ambition and a strong willingness to go the extra mile. It's a job in and of itself, put in the hours and get the job done, but do it honestly.

Until next time...

There are so many companies trying to sell you on a new resume as the cure all for your job search problems, but that’s not always the issue. I don’t believe in change for the sake of change when it comes to resume writing. If improvement is needed make the changes, but it doesn’t always require a full rewrite, sometimes not a rewrite at all… Just a new way of marketing that resume.

How you market your resume and yourself is a major part of the equation in this economy and the more creative you can be, the better. Being aggressive and turning personal marketing into an art form is getting the job. You can’t simply post your resume and feel that you’ve done the job, there’s so much more to it. Often you’re competing against hundreds of other applicants and you need to stand out, not only on paper, but as an individual. Doing that takes work, but is one of the most important aspects of your job search.

It seems that of late people are getting lazy or have simply forgot how beneficial a personal touch is to getting remembered and it’s  quite sad. Commercials tell you to simply post your resume and the jobs will come to you. Sadly it’s not the case and not very realistic to begin with. An effective job search takes time to research and leg work. Sometimes serious creativity gets noticed, if you’ve been reading some of the latest articles online about how far some are willing to go for a job, you’ll see this. Hand delivering your resume can make an impression, don’t be afraid to do it. In the past I’ve take out 20 resumes in a day, interviewed four times while doing so, received another two calls for interviews and ended up with five job offers. It only took a day, but was worth every second. Get out there and meet the people you need to be networking with. It’s not as scary as you might think and it can make an important first impression.

Take the initiative and get personal, it can make all the difference in whether you get a mediocre job or that dream job.

This blog entry is for students... You need to be planning for your future and taking the steps it will take to get into those entry level or better positions. Look for internships, summer jobs, and part-time jobs relating to your future goals. You need to have something on your resume to show that you are planning for a career. Too many students float through their college careers figuring that they don?t have to do anything until they receive that degree, but it doesn?t work that way? Groundwork has to be laid. The work you do today will solidify your future and make the job search later, much easier. Network, take those related jobs, and aim for your future. It matters and is important to think ahead. Until next? Aim high and don?t settle. You can love your job.

Hey There Searchers!

There are many that would agree that body art has come of it?s own, considered commonplace, and accepted, but be warned?. Even from a secret ?wild child? that personally hasn?t an issue with it? Don?t flaunt it at an interview! Cover the tattoos and remove the piercings, the business world is more conservative and unless you?re applying at the local tattoo shop, you will likely do more harm, than good, by showing them.

Ladies, wear long pants to cover that rose on your ankle and guys, wear the long sleeves to hide that cool dragon on you forearm. This is one of those areas where less is more and safer to be on the conservative side. Within the professional world, image is everything and you?ll be representing the company that you?re applying to. You have to remember that and expect it when preparing for that big interview. Don?t get bent out of shape by the fact? It?s just a fact and you?ll have to deal with it.

Until next time? Good luck on the hunt!

Greetings Searchers!

Your resume is no longer a simple list of facts; it?s a marketing tool that can change your life. How you present yourself and your skills will decide what direction your career will take, either to better opportunities or disappointment, if not written correctly. I?m not telling you this to scare you, but far too many individuals think that resumes are simple facts and in a time where the market is extremely competitive, facts are not good enough.

The hiring agent will decide in the first 30 seconds of looking at your resume, if they are even going to bother reading the complete document. So you had better see that your opening sale is a winner. Sorry gang, if you think they?re going to read that six page book that you are calling a resume? Forget it. They don?t have the time. It doesn?t matter if you are a top executive or not, if it?s more than two pages, you?re gambling with your career and that?s not a risk you should be willing to take.

Key words aren?t a guarantee, either. There are articles out there that make key words sound like the silver bullet to beat the scanner, but it doesn?t work that way. Experience is important and still holds it?s weight and key words are covered, if you have the necessary experience. There are key software programs and computer skills for various positions; they should always be listed along with job specific skills. These are what will be scanned for and as long as you have the skills, you?ll be covered. A word of warning? Including skills that you don?t have WILL blow up in your face. Please don?t try it.

If you?re concerned about your ability to present yourself, hire a professional to assist in writing a sound resume. That way you can be confident that someone is looking out for your best interests.

Be honest, be confident, keep it under control, and remember that you get out of a job search what you put into it.

Hello Searchers!

Welcome to 2008 and to my new career blog. My plans for 2008 include encouraging, coaching, and advising on how to search effectively for jobs, setting career goals, ways to prepare for interviews, and other tasty tidbits of how to make your career dreams reality. So much is possible, if you are willing to do your homework, have a resume up to date and ready, network, and aggressively seek out options. It?s all a matter of the effort that you put forth.

The key is a marketing mindset. It?s product YOU and that is an incredible product (and have a resume that shouts it). So often we have it pounded into us that we are to be modest, but in your job search confidence is imperative. Now don?t get me wrong, keeping an ego in check is also a good thing, but you have to ?Know? that you can do this job and that you have exceptional talent and skill to offer an organization. If you don?t believe it, why should the hiring manager?

I know what you?re thinking. You aren?t a marketer or sales professional. Maybe you hate sales, but the truth is that you sell yourself every time you meet someone. You put your best foot forward and most likeable self out there or at least I hope you do. It?s the same thing with job hunting. I?m not saying that you?re to sell your soul for the job (although we all know of companies that want that, but that is another story altogether), just be confident, know that you are a valuable employee with a great deal to offer (soul not included) and have a resume that proves it. Experience speaks volumes.

Make marketing a lifestyle and even if you love your job, you never know what the future brings. Always keep an open eye for opportunity. Be confident in your abilities; greet everyone with a smile, a strong handshake, and great eye contact? You?re not only networking, you may even make a powerful friend.

It isn?t a crime to love your job and it IS possible.

Until next time? Remember the hunt is on!