Cachinko is a social networking platform to help guide and point job seekers in the right direction with a app, giving people a shot in the arm to find job opportunities. They asked me to guest host their #ProCircles for their April 19 Twitter chat.

I talked about how job seekers should create and curate to gain visibility to be found by employers, and the subjects he or she should blog about. One of the things I said:

“The value you offer professionally through perfection and imperfection is compelling—readers and employers love it! If you can intertwine pop culture with your professional subject matter, entertaining and making points is a WIN!”

Below is the link to the transcript:

http://blog.cachinko.com/2012/04/20/procircles-wrap-up-blogging-for-a-job-41912/

EMPLOYMENT WORKSHOP

This slide show demonstrates the basic knowledge for writing a resume to meet requirements of companies who use the ATS software. A recent study shows that 40-60% of companies are now using this software to screen candidates.

This presentation was re-edited to include better examples of what was presented. You can view online or download (for a limited time). This is part I of the presentation. I should be posting part II of the presentation next Tuesday.

**Update**

Although I mentioned to NOT send a PDF file, the best file to send is the .doc (Word) file and not the .docx (Word 2010) file.

Is it your voice on your résumé, or is it someone you wish to emulate? Someone else wrote your résumé? Cool. But is it you?

Elaborate and flowery words that are not in your vocabulary will be a disservice to you. Can you articulate the résumé you, your spouse, or friend wrote?

I like presenting clients a draft to make sure it sounds the client. I am constantly talking through with the client about their experience, ensuring translation, and accuracy. It takes time, thought, research, trial and error, dictionaries, thesauruses, grammar references, performance reviews, and accommodation letters. There is more, but all of the work must reflect, walk, and talk like the owner of the résumé.

Here are ways that your voice can stand out:

1. Be unique. Whenever possible, allow your accomplishments to demonstrate the professional you are, not slang or jargon.
2. Provide volume, but don’t scream. There are occasions for bold fonts and caps, but never an egregiously use them to stand out.
3. Write clear and concise sentences. Job seekers using 30 or more words and lose the resume’s essence and the reader. Shorter than 30 words in most sentences are sufficient to communicate anything.
4. Say the write thing. Use correct spelling and remain mindful of vocabulary use. We no what were talking about, rite?

Proofread more than twice, then allow others to help. You want your voice to sound the best. Need help? Please, contact me.

Although there are fallacies and erroneous job interview situations from television that we laugh at, there are truths, sometimes painful points a job seeker can put in his or her back pocket. I like to think the purposely fictional portrays the funniest job interviews stretch into fantasy, it resonates if not by script, at least by behavior. The silliest but truthful reminders whisper to us. I found an Ellen DeGeneres episode which she interviews candidate for a position she didn’t have. As hilarious and outrageous this scenario is, these are good models to learn from for job seekers that need help with interviewing.

Here are some take-a-ways to apply to your job interview strategy:

• Talking too much is not a plus. Answer the inquiry only
• Sharing too much information is not good, especially if the interviewer is sharing personal information.
• Notice how some of the candidates dressed…down. Even if the office dresses down, for the interview dress sharp
• Facial expressions can say things that defy words at that time. Focus on the matters on the table
• DON’T CURSE! Even if the interviewer does
• If something seems silly and funny, it could strategic to provoke a reaction. Tread carefully.

Here are some articles to make a small difference in your job search, so just click on the link that will take you to the article. You can always email me to receive one-on-one help. Carpe Diem!

image credit

1. Linked in has implemented the “Follow Company” button for you to stalk, uh, follow companies. Some companies make hiring announcements on Linked In first, before or instead of posting a position on a large job board. As a reminder, you can engage companies in a way to network and find information that otherwise is not posted on a company website. You can gain insight into company culture, find out names of key individuals in your field and learn more about the company brand. You can read the Linked In post from two weeks ago to gain more information if you have yet to post a profile.
2. I wrote an article on The Voice of Jobseekers site, 4 Ways to Bring The Job Hunt Game to You that is informative showing how to conduct a passive job search activity that will come to your email.  By no means this will pre-empt networking and informative interviews, but a small way to use the web to find under the radar leads. Passive lead searches take a little time to find the right keywords to use, and evaluating words that give more bang for the buck.
3. Résumé tip: If you want to expand out-of-the-box thinking, a set of verbs that can inspire thought and in-depth descriptions, use Bloom Taxonomy verbs. Those who are teachers understand the use of these verbs to define measurable results. Why not use them to help you write a résumé? A common error for many job seekers is to pound the same verbs in one document appearing redundant and lacking communication skills. There are times when it is important to use terms more than once. Instead, after using a word once or twice, find synonyms further describes actions associated with measurable results.

Editors note: @JNAPublications wrote the following about her phone interview experience.

How long has it been since you have had a phone interview? I remember the times when a phone interview was easy. The questions were basic.

Tell me about your background?

What do you look for in a company?

Well today I experienced my first phone interview in 2 years. This interview was an hour-long. The recruiter asked me several questions. After this daunting interview, I asked myself, How well did I prepare for this interview? Companies are hiring, but they are being very strategic in choosing? Below are some of the questions that I can recall from my interview.

1. Walk me through your entire resume?

This question was not as difficult; however, I didn’t have my résumé in front of me. I wasn’t able to give the correct dates. Before your next phone interview, make sure your résumé is in front of you. Be ready to explain gaps between employers. Why were you not working during this period of time? How did you get to where you are now? Also explain why you left each job and why you want to leave now.

2. Explain your understanding of the company.

What is the title of the job? Do you know how this job will help your career path? In my situation, the recruiter emailed me information about the company. Make sure you read everything. It’s important to understand why the company is even interested.

3. What skills do you offer the company?

What value do your skills bring to the company? What are your strengths? Are you able to articulate the answer to this question? You should also be able to explain what drives your performance in a company. What are you passionate about that could help you excel if hired?

4. Have you mapped out your career path?

The key word in this question is “your.” When recruiters ask this question, they don’t want to hear that you see yourself as an executive. They want to know, what are your career goals, what skills are you wanting to advance in? How can that company help further your career path?

5. What has your job search been like? What other companies are you looking at?

This question was very new to me. As a student, I didn’t really know what my job search was like since I had just started. I answered the question in the format of being honest. I told her, what positions and companies I had also looked at. I told her why those positions piqué my interest. I also told her that I applied a year ago. The one thing I gathered from this question was do I have a centralized focus. She wanted to know was I desperately looking for jobs and applying for everything or was I looking for a career.

These were the questions that stood out to me. Before your next phone interview, prepare yourself by knowing how to answer these questions. A Phone interview does not mean you have the job, but means they want to know more about you.. Now it’s your job to sell them on why you are the best candidate.

Guest post today is written by @JesseLangley (see bio below)

Your LinkedIn profile and your resume work together like a building and its foundation. One without the other is incomplete and unsubstantial. In this analogy, your resume plays the role of the foundation, and your LinkedIn profile plays the role of the building. The purpose of your resume is to add solid support to your LinkedIn profile focusing on major details. On the other hand, your LinkedIn profile should pick up where the base left off and elaborate on the points addressed in the resume. To illustrate this concept in greater detail, consider how the two mediums work together from the following aspects.

Education

The education sections of your resume and your LinkedIn profile can have a significant impact on an employer’s interest and willingness to hire you. As the foundation component of the analogy, your resume should only express the need-to-know facts of your educational background. This includes the name of your college and the years you attended, final G.P.A. and any notable awards or achievements during your time there. Your LinkedIn account will build on these facts by listing classes taken, grades earned in core classes, samples of papers and essays, clubs you were involved in, professor recommendations and so forth. If your education section isn’t as full as you would like it to be, you might consider going back to school or taking advantage of online education opportunities to enhance your education and improve your appeal to potential employers.

Professionalism
Since your resume is much more limited in terms of length and structure, it should be written in a strictly professional tone. Little bits of personality here and there are acceptable, but in general, you should save expression of your personality for your LinkedIn profile. Like the foundation of a building, the objective of your resume is intended for a practical purpose and not a creative one. Your resume should briefly introduce yourself to a potential employer by outlining your professional accomplishments and experiences in a concise, yet enticing manner. It’s important that you maintain a professional first impression, since this is usually a hiring manager’s number one priority. Naturally, your LinkedIn profile should always carry a tone of professionalism, but this medium is much more lenient in allowing you to express your creativity, personality and people skills.

Image

Your resume should only provide a faint outline of who you are based on the information present in the document. The job of your LinkedIn profile is to fill in the details where your resume falls short. Referring back to the analogy, your resume should be an unequivocal and substantial representation of your professional core. It should list your training, your professional experiences, your accomplishments, and all of the facets that add to your credibility as a professional without exposing personal details. Your LinkedIn profile, on the other hand, sketches out your image in full detail by offering a space for photographs, videos of professional presentations, more room for content, and links to your social networking websites. In this way, your resume supports the professional image presented in your LinkedIn profile, and your profile has more room for creativity and more room for expression than your resume.

Jesse Langley specializes in writing about education, professional and personal development, and career building. He writes on behalf of Colorado Tech University.

I wrote about the brain being the weapon of choice for job seeking efforts two years ago. I thought that the points then still transcends to know. We underestimate how powerful our brains are in discerning right from wrong, and what’s career fits our style of learning and thinking. It’s more important than your resume, a smooth 30-second introduction, or any other means of presenting yourself. Your brain is the central hub of all things you.

Essentially, your brain competes with your heart. A common example of this comes from my original posting two years ago:

The job posting says: Must have a Microsoft Office A+ certification
Your heart says: I’ve worked with Microsoft Office for 10 years now, I can do the job
Your BRAIN says: I haven’t used Office in 6 months since my position was tossed and I never had formal training.
The truth is: No certification, no interview

I hope you will read the rest of the article, and find some truth to follow.

Most Important Job Seeking Tool? Your Brain, not Your Resume

I was quoted in The Modesto Bee Worker Wise Blog on Sunday about Informational Interviews. It’s a great tool when you understand the dynamics of an informational interview.

You can position this business meeting with a Human Resource professional who wouldn’t mind sharing information about a position in for about 10 minutes. People who have experience success in setting up these meetings can get more than 10 minutes, especially if it’s a conversation (but not very casual).

You want information that will help position your resume and future interviews with any company. The benefit is the information, and a small possibility you will be invited to officially interview for a similar position.

I suggest 10 minutes because the HR person doesn’t have to schedule it  (most of the time). Here are some short tips that should help:

1. Dress as if you would for an interview.
2. Let the person know the nature of the questions. The agreement takes any potential tension out of the meeting.
3. Don’t ask for the job. Be forthright with your intentions that you are looking for information.
4. It’s okay to compare your experience to the required experience for the job.
5. The key is conversational, and be likeable.
6. Send a thank you note. Handwritten is better, mail it, and continue to set up other conversations like it.

Here’s the short article, but I included scenarios of what not to do:

http://www.modbee.com/2012/01/29/2047127/workwise-blogtip-getting-personal.html