Category Archives: Resume

October 17, 2012

Writing a Cover Letter? – Make it a great one!

By Recruiterpoet - Professionalism With Flare

My friend Erica is a Marketing Business Analyst.

For those of you that do not know what the entails, you are not alone. Marketing is like the CIA of the corporate world. The day to day responsibilities are so secretive, even marketing professionals do not know what they do. It is a little Dead Marketers Society, where they hide in caves, sip wine and determine how they can mislead the public with analytics, reports and high powered PowerPoint presentations. They plan has been executed with brilliance for hundreds of years.

She recently found her self back in the market and in search of the next great career adventure. Now Erica is an avid outdoors woman. Bikes, hikes, eats healthy, supports local farms and gets her feet wet or muddy quite often. She is the role model for healthy living. It made sense that Trek was one of her targeted organizations to woe.

The question that lingered on her mind was, “how do I make them understand that I was born to be a part of that culture?” Sure she could put biking and hiking in her interests category on her resume or even through out a few biking clubs/organizations to boot but that seems cliché and forced. Why not make this one competitive, topical and passionate.

That is just what Erica did. She reached deep inside her creative juices and let it all out with this cover letter:

I’m not writing you a cover letter.

Those are boring and nobody reads them, anyway. Instead, I’m providing you a brief background on why I’m looking to become a Trek-ie (who cares if the Star Trek people have already coined that one) along with my list of demands, should I accept your offer of employment.
I didn’t start out a Trek-ie. My first “real bike” was a Cannondale M450 steel frame Franck Roman (if you don’t know who that is, shame on you, and you’d better look him up because there will be a quiz) that I purchased while stationed in Augsburg, Germany, in 1995. I purchased my first road bike 15 years later – an Orbea Lobular, AKA the DreamCYCLE.

Since then, my friends have started to slowly convert me into a Trek-ie (and, my husband, I suppose, who has a Madone 5.0). Ok, maybe slowly is not really the word when the first Trek you purchase is a Project 1 Speed Concept 9.0, but hey, who is keeping track here? My most recent bike purchase was not a Trek, however. With all the 29ers out there, I still wanted 26′s on my mountain bike, so I ended up buying a used Gary Fisher. BRING BACK THE 26′s…!

So, enough of the background drivel – below are my list of demands, should I accept your offer of employment:

1. There will be no making fun of the DreamCYCLE. Even if she is aluminum/carbon, with the right rider, she can kick butt any day of the week.

2. When the Speed Concept is in the office, she will enjoy indoor, premium parking, and a wreath of flowers will be draped over her handle bars so that she always feels like she’s in the winner’s circle.

3. When you interview for the communications specialist position you have posted, I expect to have a vote on whether or not the chocolate cookies pass muster.

4. And, I will not actually interview for this position; instead, I challenge the hiring manager to a road race on the bike of his/her choice. I, of course, will be on the Speed Concept. If I win, I get the job. And, the hiring manager’s bike. :-) If I lose, I get the job anyway, and I get to keep my bike.
If you agree to these terms and conditions, I look forward to hearing from you at the number provided in my online application.

With tongue in cheek,

Erica ______

P.S. Don’t take my resume seriously; it’s all drivel, too.

There you have it. A cover letter that addresses:

  • Cultural fit
  • Passion
  • Research on the company, products and brand
  • A edgy first impression
  • Confidence
  • Persistence

If you do your research and find a place where you “fit”, let them know that.

2 comments | posted in bikes, cover letter, Interview, Jobs, passion, Research, Resume, Trek

October 26, 2011

What Kind of Employee Am I? Personal Marketing Strategy 101

By Recruiterpoet - Professionalism With Flare

What is a personal marketing strategy plan?

It is a blueprint for success. This document, will help you look at yourself a little closer and determine your professional vision. Through a series of evaluation tools, this document will identify the type of work, culture, values and ideology of the organization and environment that you will thrive in.

During the period of career transition, often we fall into a sense of panic or fear. Part of the work experience is the expectation of receiving payment for our contributions. When those payments dry out, the financial burden of lifestyle changes drive us to rush the process and settle into a situation that is less than fulfilling. Also, for those that are dissatisfied with the current work situation, we can be blinded by other opportunities comparing them only to our current situation but not looking deeper into the role, company and long term affects of the opportunity in play.

Making professional choices in life is a mentally straining activity that asks us to not only look at our own future, but those that are a part of our circle. The goal, by creating a marketing strategy document/doctrine is to provide yourself with a cheat sheet to your own happiness.

What type of information should I have in my personal marketing strategy document?

First, state your mission or objective:

Clearly indicate your expectations on what is your ultimate goal. Make it simple and clear. What are you trying to accomplish as the end goal of this initiative? Once you define the meaning of this activity, you will have the passion and motivation to see it to completion.

Determine your basic logistics/needs:

1. Pay/Compensation – Base Pay, Bonus, Stock/401(k), Benefits. Focus in on a monetary and benefits plan that will be most comfortable for you, your family and your lifestyle.

2. Work Life Balance – How many hours a week do you want to work? How much annual vacation are you seeking? Do you want an office based role or virtual home based role?

3. What type of product/service/industry do you want to be a part of? Do you have convictions against a certain product/service? Do you feel more comfortable in a design and development company vs. a manufacturing company? Do you want to work in a small boutique firm or Fortune 100 organization?

4. What level of responsibility are you looking to attain? Do you want a strategic leadership role? Do you want a people management role? Do you want to be an individual contributor?

5. What type of community value do you want your next employer to have (Volunteer work, charity work, green workplace)?

What are you key skills (technical and soft)?

List out all of your technical skills and be as specific as possible including software versions and expertise level (Beginner/Novice, Intermediate, Advanced).

List your soft skills – Leadership, communication, adaptability, teaming…

What are you current professional areas of improvement?

List all the areas you feel you could further develop in your professional career and focus on training or academics that could help you achieve those goals. Also, indicate the type of training that is most effective for you (classroom, web based, book learning).

Time line for acheivement

Based on current situations in your life and transition time, set out an approximate time frame to complete your transition into a new career opportunity

Company and Location

Now is the time we begin to get more specific. I know, many of you are saying to yourself “I don’t want to limit my search” but this exercise is all about finding your true happiness in a place where you will be spending almost half of your awake hours each week. Think about how selective you are with your choice of mate, home, entertainment, social life and friends. Why should a career search be any different?

If, you are willing to move, chose the Top 5 places you would consider a move. If you are not, how far are you willing to commute?

List the Top 5 or 10 companies you have a desire to work for. Have you always dreamed of working for Apple or Google or maybe want Best Buy for a great associate discount? Perhaps helping the environment is your passion and a solar energy company is your dream home. Think really hard about the company that would truly bring you inner peace and outward excitement each morning you drove to work.

What tools do you have for your plan execution?

List out all the tools you have at your disposal to help achieve your goal of identification, attraction and securing of your next career opportunity?

Examples:

Do you have a LinkedIn Profile?
Do you have an About.Me or Google Profile?
Do you have a URL / Web Based Resume?
Do you have publications / White Papers / Volunteer Work to support your career background?
Do you belong to any networking groups?
Do you have referrals?

There you have it, you initial Personal Marketing Strategy Plan. But you are not done yet.
The final step is review and edit. Take your plan to two or three people you trust in your life both personal and professional and have them review the document. Ask them to be candid and critical. You can be honest with yourself, but sometimes others see you a little better than you see yourself.

Once you have completed the final step, your blueprint for success is ready. Print it out, tape it on your desk, wall, refrigerator or bathroom mirror so that every day, you are reminded of the goals you are going to achieve.

You will be successful and more importantly you will find happiness at the end of the rainbow.

1 comment | posted in Achievement, Career, Goals, Job, Personal Marketing Strategy, Resume, Success

August 25, 2011

The Throw it and See What Sticks Approach will not work in your job search!

By Recruiterpoet - Professionalism With Flare

“You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.” – Buckminster Fuller

“Hey Mark-

Thank you for accepting my invitation to connect on LinkedIn.

Please let me know how I can help you.

I am a Purchasing Professional in transition. Any suggestions?”

Shortly after sending a LinkedIn request from this gentleman, I received this email. I am certain I am one of many recruiters this individual reached out to. Naturally, this person had no idea what my industry, role support or leverage/networking capability was. He was hoping that someone could link up with him and provide him with the next career opportunity. Without further information about what specific area of purchasing he was involved in (vendor relations, supply chain, operations, inventory, etc.) it was impossible to provide an educated response so I did reach out for further information and at the the time of publication have yet to hear back (Four days later).

It got me thinking that with all the emphasis on the high unemployment rate and the slowing job creation growth rate, maybe the slowing growth rate is not the only concern. My experiences have indicated that for many, we don’t know how to be “unemployed”. The art of the career search is a delicate process of focus, research, marketing, communications and sales. It is a precise and patient process that in the end, if done correctly, could yield you a career move that is far better than your previous role. So why are so many cheating or being just lazy with their approach?

Because they believe they can solve their unemployment dilemma with volume and numbers.

I am here to tell you that the “Throw it and see what sticks approach” rarely works.

Before I committed to my theory, I decided to try a little experiment. Thank you to my physics and chemistry teachers in high school for providing me with the precise know how to effectively conduct the experience, examine my findings and draw efficient conclusions. I took marshmallows, gummi bears and Swedish fish and began. I will say the sample sizes were equal before I began, but the Swedish fish are so yummy. One by one I threw them against the white wall of the house to see if in fact they would stick. My results were conclusive. One hundred percent of the test samples did not stick. Thus, the practice of “throw it and see what sticks” does in fact not work.

Then I decided to extend my social experiment to Facebook. I have a number of Facebook “friends” in the Charleston area. Predominately, they are businesses and the reason behind my many local business connections is for the social calendar it presents. It is an opportunity for me to see what music, theater, and dining options are available to me on any given day or week. Since I have a high number of “mutual friends” I have gotten a number of requests for connecting with people I have never spoken a word to nor do I expect to. I am trying to figure out why. I am not a local business, I am not offering a service. I am just ME! So why? Maybe they just feel like they need to since we have many mutual friends or because of the large numbers of connections they feel they should know more for some reason unknown to themselves. I even see this as a sub-set to the “throw it and see what sticks” approach.

Now what is wrong with this approach? Beyond the obvious that it lacks focus, innovation and research, it is a flawed approach. Given the increasing population and the limited job growth concerns that we will be dealing with for several years to come, organizations are becoming leaner and relying on specialized talent to fill the limited needs. Having industry knowledge, cultural experience, soft skills and technical skills are going to be the key to success in this job market.

Companies are becoming more in tune with the “complete candidate” The complete candidate is a package deal. That is the resume, the career flow, the soft skills, the specific technical capabilities and the social interaction. Social Interaction: What does that mean?

That means:

1. The behaviors and actions on social networking channels?
2. How aggressive and focused is your behavior in your job search process (How many roles do you apply to, how often do you call recruiters, how much effort are you putting into your search.)
3. How well do you know yourself (What are your strengths, what are your areas of improvement? Are you leveraging your strengths?)
4. Are you showing personal and professional growth?
5. What other areas of your life are completing your personality (Volunteer work, community service, communities)

We are no longer summed up by a resume/CV. We are now part of the growing cloud of life; the sum of all our actions. Each choice we make in our careers, training, community and social life is a permanent tattoo on our image or personal brand.

The key to a successful career transition is a clear focus on what has made you who you are and then take that mirror image of yourself to the next level and think different. In a market that is more competitive now than it has ever been before, the critical need to stand out from the crowd and re-invent may be the most important aspect of your search. Your skills will provide your with the tool kit to succeed once you have the job, but your unique approach will get your foot in the door.

When you wake up and sit down in front of your IPad, PC or laptop, think about how you will approach your career search, determine if your current marketing plan is working and then re-invent yourself.

Leave a comment | posted in Apple, Careers, Facebook, Job Search, Jobs, Linkedin, Marketing, Resume, Think Different

July 19, 2011

With Cisco and Borders, 27,500 job eliminations announced today…Rut Row!

By Recruiterpoet - Professionalism With Flare

Currently, the number of unemployed persons (14.1 million) and the unemployment rate (9.2 percent) stand at an alarming position. Since March, 2011, the number of unemployed persons has increased
by 545,000, and the unemployment rate has risen by 0.4 percentage point. The eligible labor force stands at 153.4 million potential.

Among the major worker groups, the unemployment rates for adult men (9.1 percent), adult women
(8.0 percent), teenagers (24.5 percent), whites (8.1 percent), blacks (16.2 percent), and Hispanics (11.6
percent) showed little or no change in June. The jobless rate for Asians was 6.8 percent, not seasonally
adjusted.

Statistic provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics

What does all this mean given the announcement today that Cisco will be closing a plant and reducing their global workforce by 16% (6,500 Employees) and Borders will be liquidating leaving over 11,000 unemployed?

There are major and minor workforce reduction announcements almost daily. Why point out these two? First, the numbers are very significant as 27,500 will be fazed out of the workforce, but more importantly is the extremity of the types of workers.

On the Cisco end, many of the roles being eliminated are technology focused skilled labor with niche specialty systems, development and integration training. On the Borders side, most of the affected are hourly retail specialists. When we look at the age breakdown and the teenage unemployment numbers at nearly 25%, we have to factor in that Borders has relied on the use of younger book sellers to meet the customer needs at the individual store level.

Adding onto the dangers of this slap in the face of an already bruised global economy, is that several analysts believe this is not the end for Cisco. This round of layoffs and plant closing may be the start of more to come.

With the end of Borders on the horizon, are we seeing a trend in the print/brick and mortars market that will continue to decline as the online and digital print market comes further into its own? A valid question with significant evidence leading to technology destroying the written word. Then again if we read our history books carefully, the underdog, in many memorable moments, has risen to the occasion to declare victory.

If the David and Goliath theory should happen to fail us, we must rely on the oldest adage in all of humanity: Survival of the fittest. Yes, the truly strong will prevail. There are several truths that we must accept:

1. The world population will continue to grow.
2. Competition will force companies to drive down operations and overhead costs and thus lean workforces.
3. Specialization of skills and effective branding will be essential elements in our resume folder.
4. As an employee, we will continuously be challenged, observed and scrutinized for there are a great many waiting in the wings to take our slot.
5. The fittest in the employment world is a combination of many elements including but not limited to: academics, experience, technical skills, soft skills, networking, validation, growth/advancement, risk and visibility
6. Fear is good! We should look at each day of employment as if it could be our last and harness that fear to force us to excel.
7. Believe in the reward system. It does work. Strong work performance will be rewarded.

Where does that leave us? Very simple: Cisco and Borders announced 27,500 job eliminations today.

Just when I thought we were getting somewhere, the media has to bring us down.

Who is winning in this employment cluster fuck? Simple Apple, LinkedIn, Facebook, Zynga and a group of former Wall Street Executive Wizards that inhaled more money than Harry Potter.

There is hope. There is always hope. Without hope we would never have had the musical genius of Hanson or the Spice Girls and witnessed the rise of Earnest and Pee Wee. We live in a world where the unthinkable becomes a reality and the unimaginable is lived out on American Idol.

Chaos and sensationalism are being poured down our throats by the media and we are swallowing it up whole.
We need to this put our own lives in perspective and the bottom line is that it is just about perspective.

You are talented and skilled and have demonstrated the ability to be a great asset to the workforce.
We are in the low end of a cyclical life cycle. It will rise again and we will look back fondly on how this made us stronger.

Now as I conclude, I want to be clear that today’s news is troubling and it will have an adverse affect on thousands of individuals and families and it will have a ripple affect on others but, if you are in this situation or fear you will be soon, know there are tools out there to make you stronger.

There are not hard to find. Just ask. In times of need, it is remarkable how the generosity of others shine.

Let your fear out, but use it for good to find the heart to be a better you.

Leave a comment | posted in Borders, Brand, Cisco, Economy, Fear, Jobs, Layoffs, Resume, Unemployment

December 4, 2010

Ten Things You Should Know About LinkedIn

By Recruiterpoet - Professionalism With Flare

Another list.
Who doesn’t love lists?

Today is officially Happy Saturday List Day. As part of the celebration, we would like to provide you with a few things you may or may not know about LinkedIn.

1.) Many agencies and corporate recruiters/sourcers use LinkedIn for 65 to 75 percent of their candidate searches. Makes you think that maybe, just maybe you should have your profile up to date and as detailed as possible.

2.) Each individual profile can join up to 50 groups and even more of they align themselves with sub-groups within the groups. So…Why is that so important to be in 50 groups. LinkedIn is structured by levels of connections and within the current process, each profile only has access to free email to their 1st level connections or groups membership sharing. By maximizing group affiliation it enhances your free networking access.

3.) Approximately 5-7 percent of LinkedIn members actively participate in groups discussions or content sharing. It is not enough to have a strong profile on LinkedIn but to participate. Participation will raise the bar of awareness by showing group members of like skill set, roles or regional affiliation that you have the knowledge expertise, strong communication skills and teaming abilities to be a successful part of an organization. Become engaged and share your domain expertise with other group members.

4.) A profile should always be in flux. With each update whether that be a promotion, volunteer work, committee affiliation, training workshop, etc, all of your first level connections will see that update on the status wall. It is almost like being a new profile again. We always want to be on the top of the list to get noticed. When one does a Google Search, do they go to the website on page five or one of the first results? I think you know the answer.

5.) Take advantage of applications that help promote your level of experience. LinkedIn has a number of free applications such as WordPress, Box.net, Trip.it and Slideshare that allow others to see and even download examples of your work, resumes and references.

6.) You are being watched. LinkedIn provides you with a summary of those that are watching you. This is a free feature that provides basic information but there is a pay upgrade that opens up much more detail. This analytic model shows the trends of activity which includes how many searches your profile showed up in and who has viewed your profile. Keep an eye on who is watching you as it may be the beginnings of a strong networking relationship

7.) LinkedIn allows you to find friends from other personal social communication platforms. The friend find tool will find all your friends on your Gmail, Outlook, Apple Mail, and Yahoo accounts and tell you who is on Linkedin so you can expand your network quickly.

8.) Linkedin has the capability to align your tweets to your share window on your Linkedin profile. This is like double dipping your tweets. Who doesn’t love more exposure.

9.) Grass roots and organic networking will continue to be a critical part of our relationships even as social media is growing. Trip It is an application to tracks your trips by dates and mileage. That is very cool because it tracks you against others that share the application but more importantly, it will tell you who among your first connections will be in that area when you are. Think about it, an instant list of who will be in town. If you have time for coffee or a dinner, you can network face to face with your connections.

10.) Polls Polls, Polls… If you are doing research for a white paper and you need data, you can create a poll and send it to your connections and make it public. This is a free option but with a pay upgrade you can send it to the whole LinkedIn network.

11.) Bonus – LinkedIn allows you to follow companies. If you are putting together your personal marketing plan and structuring your target companies that you ideally would like to work for, you can follow activity around these companies including jobs, promotions, hires, departures and news feeds.

I hope some of these little tidbits helps create awareness to the true power of LinkedIn and professional networking.

Keep your profile up to date, maximize your potential exposure and get involved. The rest will fall into place.

3 comments | posted in Box.net, List, Resume, Trip It

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