Networking – What Not To Do

Networking is defined as a supportive system of sharing information and services among individuals and groups having a common interest.  Why should you network?  Studies have shown that 50% of all job openings are never posted anywhere online and upwards of 70% of all openings are filled by networking.  Now that I have your attention, let’s look at how to avoid the common networking errors.

Job Boards Don’t Work – Using Monster, CareerBuilder and the other major job boards is a waste of your time if all you do is apply online.  Applying is the first step but must be followed up by calling into a company and finding out who the hiring manager is for the role. You need to get them on the phone to present them with your 30 second or elevator speech.  Recent statistics I have heard are that 2-5% of the people that apply via the major job boards get a call.  That means 95% of you are wasting your time if all you do is apply online.

Perfecting Your 30 Second Elevator Speech

When I talk to people about the Elevator Speech, I often hear many of the same comments;

• Why do I need it?
• What do I say?
• Who do I say it to?
• Doesn’t it make me seem self-important?

Networking is the most important part of the process of looking for a new career, and the Elevator Speech is your number one tool to utilize.  You can have many variations based on your audience.  For the purposes of this article, we are going to assume your audience is someone in your profession who ideally has the authority to hire.   The Elevator Speech however is not about asking for a job, it is about making connections with the right people!

As the title implies, the Elevator Speech should be no longer than 30 seconds.   The  reason for this is simple.  The average person will give you a ‘free pass’ to talk for 30 seconds before they either lose interest or have to get back to what they were previously doing.  Take advantage of the window of time that you are given to convey your message in a compelling manner.  Make sure to not abuse the time you are given, by adhering to the 30 second rule.

Make Your Resume JUMP Off the Page

Make Your Resume JUMP Off the Page

Based on the feedback from my last article, 10 Steps to a Successful Job Search, the next several articles will focus on some of the specific steps.  We will start with “Make Your Resume JUMP Off the Page”.

Developing a resume that jumps off the page at the reader is critical to your job search success.  A Recruiter or HR person will only spend about 20-30 seconds reading a resume, before they make a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ decision.  During that short window of time, you have to convey that you are the best fit for the role.  So how do you accomplish what seems like such a monumental task?  To start with, keep your target audience in mind and understand what they are looking for when reading your resume.

Ten tips to make your resume reader friendly;

1. Get the reader from your name to your current role within the top third of the page.  What is of most interest to the reader is your last five years of experience.
2. No bullet or paragraph should be longer than 3-4 lines.  Anything more than that is difficult to read quickly, so it is either skimmed or skipped all together.
3. Make your resume accomplishment oriented.  A resume that reads like a job description does not differentiate you from the hundreds of other applicants.
4. Your accomplishments should be bulleted to make them stand out on the page.