Helpful hints for job seekers

Tips to give you an edge in today's job market.

Writing an effective resume


The average resume gets viewed for less than three seconds…don’t let yours be just average! Your resume is the first impression you will make on a prospective employer and it is a powerful tool when utilized correctly.

 

Strategy

Writing an effective resume is the foundation of your job search. When your resume fails to reflect your skills appropriately, your options are limited.

Imagine you were sending a picture of yourself to someone you had never met before. What picture would you choose? Probably the picture when you were dressed up for a special event, not the one of you on Sunday morning just rolling out of bed! This is exactly how your resume should be! Spend time to make sure that it looks the best it possibly can.


The key to writing an effective resume is demonstrating that you have transferable skills that are relevant to the industry in which you are searching:

  1. Translate your experience into generic terms so employers in any industry can identify and relate to your skill set.
  2. Understand the scope of your target market by researching:
    • Industry
    • Responsibilities
    • Demand
  3. Choose the right category to fit your actual skills, not what you want your skills to be.
  4. For industry specific positions, use titles, tasks, and buzzwords appropriately.
  5. For non-industry specific positions, use general terms that are more widely understood.

Style

People do judge books by their covers. If you want a potential employer to read past the first line of your resume, follow these steps:

  1. Make your resume look inviting! Keep the font simple and readable and make sure it does not have too many pages. Your resume should only exceed one page if you have over 5 years of experience. Positions that were held 15 years ago or more do not need lengthy descriptions. Avoid extraneous information such as lengthy skill lists that include outdated technology, long objective statements or long descriptions of your college internships or jobs.
  2. Be particular about dates, including the month and year.
  3. Leave the salary information and reference lists out; save that information for a direct conversation later in the process.
  4. Spelling and grammar are very important!
    Make sure that your language is correct and the wording is easy to read. Remember that your resume is the first indication of your communication and writing skills. Get at least one friend to proofread your resume for you!
  5. Make sure you use the proper tense for each position. Only your current position should be in present tense, and your prior employment should be listed reverse chronologically.

Substance

  1. Clearly and precisely describe your company so that a potential employer understands your environment, especially if it is not a "brand name".  Include:
    • Number of employees
    • Total revenue
    • Number of offices
    • National vs. International
    • Brief outline of what type of business your company is in
  2. Clearly define the scope of your position:
    • What is the size of your group?
    • Who do you support? For example:
      • Helpdesk Personnel should explain what user group they support
      • Marketing Personnel should explain what group they focus on.
    • If you have management capacity, you must clearly describe the scope of your responsibilities, including:
      • Number of direct reports, indirect reports, and consultants
      • Size of budget
      • Profit & Loss responsibilities
      • Revenue for your department
      • Title of the person you report to
    • Make a separate paragraph for special projects you have worked on. This is the section where you can describe projects that are not part of your daily responsibilities, for example:
      • Role in a move to new location
      • Role in a merger
      • Role in a new software implementation
      • Special events that you helped coordinate
  3. Avoid writing too much detail about previous work experience that is not relevant to the position you seek. This can be distracting to the person reading your resume.

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Dealing with recruiters


Professional recruiters develop deep networks of contacts within a diverse range of companies and industries. Through their relationships, they have access to opportunities that are not available to the general public. Recruiters can also serve as career advisors and help to steer your career along the path of your choice.


Choosing a recruiter

  1. Business ethics and goals are the most important aspects of recruiting.
    • Spend time making sure that you’re comfortable with the recruiter. Your career goals are the priority; if your recruiter is prioritizing his or her own goals, it is time for a new one!
  2. When choosing a recruiter:
    • Meet with them. There is no better way to get to know someone and their intentions!
    • Determine the specialty and industry that the recruiter is most accustomed to working in.
    • Find out how long they have been in the recruiting business.
  3. It doesn’t matter how well known or how large the agency is, if you don’t feel comfortable or confident about them or their integrity, do not work with them!

Getting the best out of your recruiter

  1. Explain your current position to them in detail. Answer honestly all questions they ask you. It is important to fully disclose to your recruiter so they can help you devise a plan of attack for your interview process.
  2. Define your target position and the reasons why you should be considered.
  3. CLEARLY outline your salary expectation. If you are unsure of your market value, have the recruiter provide you with a salary survey.
  4. Build a strong relationship with you recruiter. They will be more likely to go the extra mile for you and this can make a difference in your compensation and other perks offered to you.

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Salary negotiation


Negotiation is an art. You can achieve a desired outcome and have a positive experience through effective negotiation. It is very important to create a win-win situation during the negotiation process because it is the beginning of a lasting relationship between you and your employer. The following steps are designed to help you create this win-win situation.

If you already have a set salary in mind for a new position and you are not flexible, the following steps are unnecessary. It is important to alert the prospective employer’s HR representative of your salary requirements prior to going into any interview process.

It is important to be open to entering into negotiations with a prospective employer.

  1. Explain CLEARLY your total compensation package to your prospective employer or representative/recruiter.
    For example:
    • Base Salary (75k) + Paid Overtime (approximately 10hrs/week) + Bonus (10-15%, last year = 9k) + Stock Options or Employer Retirement Contribution (6%/year) etc.
  2. Do NOT exaggerate your compensation.
    • You lose credibility and leverage to negotiate if you do not provide precise information. Also, most employers require proof of compensation and will rescind job offers if the proof does not match the information you provided them
  3. Know the salary range of the position you are applying for before getting to the negotiating stage.
  4. Avoid giving the prospective employer a specific desired salary in the beginning of the interview process.
    • Disclose your current compensation.
    • Provide a desired salary range.
    • Make it clear that you are open to a realistic increase in salary for the right opportunity. It is important to let the employer know that you are more interested in the position than the salary.
  5. Make sure to CLEARLY understand the scope of the job responsibilities before you start negotiating.
    For example:
    • Number of people you will be managing
    • On-call 24/7
    • Rotating shifts
    • Amount of travel
    • Responsibility for multiple or remote locations
    • Dramatic increase or change in responsibility in the near future
  6. Do not react positively or negatively to an initial offer regardless of the number.
  7. Negotiate your base salary first.
    • Base salary will matter the most when you are being considered for a raise, promotion, or applying for a new job, etc.
  8. Negotiate the perks last, including:
    • Bonus structure
    • Evaluation date
    • Vacation
    • Sign-on bonus
    • Stock options
  9. Get a detailed written commitment for compensation and other perks from the prospective employer/your representative before you accept the negotiated salary offer.
  10. Do NOT use a counter-offer to renegotiate the offer you already accepted.
    • Let your new employer know that your current company may make a counter-offer. Negotiate a salary that will satisfy you regardless of what your current company counters with. A counter-offer may cloud your judgment about the actual job responsibilities.
  11. Do NOT entertain a counter-offer just for more money.
    • Pitting one offer against the other will tell both employers that you cannot be trusted and will lead to a negative reputation and false relationship.
  12. It is always advised to have a recruiter/representative negotiate with a prospective employer.
    • Recruiters specialize in negotiation and can keep you out of the uncomfortable negotiation process.
    • Recruiters have a vested interest in getting you the best package that they can; the more money you make, the more money they make!

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