August 2016 - Job Hunt Solutions

Top Sources for Your Job Search

August 30 2016 nfougere Job Search 0 comments Tags: Job Search Sources, where to begin a job search, Where to Find a Job

I’ve received feedback from a number of clients regarding applying to jobs online. The concern is that most jobs are found through networking or internal employee referrals. Although there are a number of articles to support this concern, it isn’t the whole story.

How Recruiters Find Candidates

A recruiter’s job is to find qualified candidates to fill open job opportunities. Let’s take a look at how recruiters search for qualified candidates so that you as the job seeker can be found by recruiters.

Most large organizations will have an internal recruitment department. The same holds true for mid-sized organizations. Like any other department within an organization, the recruitment department will have a budget. They will also need to justify how they are spending their budget. A recruitment department’s budget will be allocated to those activities which result in a successful hire. These activities include investing in social media sites (i.e. LinkedIn), posting job ads on job boards, leveraging recruitment agencies, and in their own recruitment systems (or ATSs). To justify the use of this investment, the recruitment department must demonstrate that they have successfully hired a mix of candidates through these channels in as well as leveraging internal employee referrals.

With this in mind, it is imperative that you have a multi-channel strategy for your job search, inclusive of networking. In other words, be sure to apply to jobs that you see posted online including on your target companies’ career sites, network with recruitment agencies, and increase your presence on social media. You can increase your social media presence through writing a blog, sharing interesting articles related to your chosen field, or commenting on social media posts. By doing this you will boost your presence as an authority in your field.

Final Thoughts

Although there are many benefits for an organization when they hire candidates through employee referrals, most organizations realize the value in diversifying their candidate mix. After all, if an organization only hires candidates through internal employee referrals, they run the risk of Group Think. In other words, if an organization only hires the friends of their employees, they risk having teams of employees who all think the same way. By diversifying the candidate mix, the organization is far more likely to have diversity of thought among their teams. This diversity of thought is a key competitive advantage in the ever-changing business world. As a savvy job seeker, you too should diversify the sources you use in your job search.

I hope you found this post helpful. If you have any additional insights, or would like to share your experience, I’d love to hear from you.

For personalized advice, click here.

Until next time, happy hunting!

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5 Things to Consider Before Accepting a Job Offer

August 23 2016 nfougere Job Offers 0 comments Tags: Bag the Job, Job offer tips, Offer

For many people, receiving a job offer means the end of their job search. That said, there are still a few things to consider before signing on the dotted line.

Total Compensation Package – although salary is an important factor to consider, there are other elements to your compensation package that should be examined. Annual bonuses, for example, could be viewed as optional as they are rarely guaranteed. Medical benefits, for example, should be aligned with your family needs. If not, you may need to ensure that your salary can offset any additional expenses you may incur. If salary is non-negotiable, you may be able to come up with creative solutions such as asking for a signing bonus.
Commute – likely you would have visited the office location during the interview process. This may well have been during off-peak hours. Consider doing a ‘dry run’ to the office location during rush hour as the commute time might be very different than it was during off-peak hours. If the commute is significantly longer than you anticipated, then you may be able to negotiate a work from home arrangement.
Travel – another thing to consider is the frequency of travel. It is not typical to have travel stipulations in an employment contract, however, it is important that you are very clear on the level of travel required for the role before you formally accept an offer.
Hours & Over Time – in some cases, working hours will be stipulated in an employment contract. That said, it may be vague or not explicitly stated. As such, it is important to ensure that you are clear on the expected hours as well as any overtime requirements and/or eligibility.
Team – ideally, you would have met your future team members during the interview stage. If not, and where possible, ask to meet the team before you accept an offer. Meeting the team will help you assess the culture, advancement opportunities, and working conditions.

When it comes to considering an offer of employment, clarity is key. Not only will you be able to avoid any surprises, but you will also be better able to balance the benefits with the expectations.

Final Thoughts

Organizations assess candidates through to the time they start working. In that spirit, you too should continue to assess the organization throughout the hiring process. This includes the offer negotiation stage. As such, it is imperative that both parties are honest and reasonable during this stage. In the rare instance that you feel you are not being treated fairly, it is reasonable to decline the offer. Keep in mind, the same holds true for the organization.

I hope you found this post helpful. If you have any additional insights, or would like to share your experience, I’d love to hear from you.

For personalized advice, check out the services section here.

Until next time, happy hunting!

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Top 5 Resume Mistakes to Avoid

August 14 2016 nfougere Resume Writing 0 comments Tags: resume advice, resume mistakes, resume tips

Having spent nearly 20 years in the recruitment field, I have read thousands of resumes. Some of which had avoidable mistakes. I would see these resume mistakes as a reflection of the applicant’s attention to detail or lack thereof. Even now, as a recruitment coach and resume writer, I still see these common and avoidable mistakes.

Resume Mistakes

Your resume is your key piece of marketing material during your job search. The purpose of your resume is to tell your career story in the context of an organization’s current hiring needs. Even the most compelling career story won’t be heard in an interview unless these mistakes are avoided:

Poor Spelling & Grammar – most word processing programs, like MS Word, have spell check and grammar check functionality. Unfortunately, it can miss a lot of key mistakes. As such, I would recommend that you have someone proofread your resume. In addition, there is an add-on for MS Word and Google Chrome that you can download called Grammarly. There is both a free and premium version. A third option is to use a resume writer to ensure that you are avoiding this and the following mistakes.
Lack of Keywords – as mentioned in previous posts, it is critical that you include the keywords from the job ad in your resume. They key here is to ensure you pepper the keywords truthfully.
Dishonesty – in my time in recruitment, I have seen a lot. That includes vastly different resumes submitted by the same person. I am not talking about tailoring your resume, which is important. Rather, seeing multiple versions of one person’s resume with different employers and/or employment dates listed. As with most things, honesty is the best policy.
Poorly Formatted – sometimes people like to try to use different formats for their resume in an attempt to stand out. On the other hand, some may try to cram too much information on their resume, leaving very little white space on the page. Unfortunately, this causes more of a distraction for the reader and makes the resume more difficult to read. In essence, the resume stands out, but not in a good way. As such, it is best to avoid any “funky formats” or putting too much information on one page because a resume that is too hard to read might not get read.
Length – there are few hard and fast rules when it comes to resume length. With the exception of MBA new grads applying to consulting roles, it is perfectly acceptable to have a two-page resume. As mentioned in the previous point, many times people will try to cram the information from a two-page resume into one page. Alternately, having a resume that is too long may not get read all the way through – especially on the first review. (As a side note, there is a difference between a CV and a resume. For more information, please review the accompanying video.)

Although this list isn’t exhaustive, by avoiding these mistakes and telling a compelling career story, you are well on your way to landing more interviews.

Final Thoughts

Your resume is a living document. By that I mean it can and should be revised and tailored for each role to which you apply. Keep in mind, as you update and/or tailor your resume, it is important that you have your resume proofread to ensure consistency and correctness with spelling and grammar.

I hope you found this post helpful. If you have any additional insights, or would like to share your experience, please do leave a comment below.

For personalized advice, check out my services here.

Until next time, happy hunting!

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Job Searching: Is it a Good Sign When….?

August 11 2016 nfougere Job Search 0 comments Tags: Interview Advice, interview tips, Job Search Advice, Job Search Tips

I have received a number of questions from job seekers asking if there are certain key indicators that would suggest that they will be successful in moving along the recruitment life cycle. Specifically, I was asked if a positive response to a thank you letter, questions of salary and availability, and/or discussions of next steps would be a good sign.

As usual, the short answer is: it depends. Let’s look at each of these indicators in more detail to see if there are any insights you can glean.

Possible Good Signs

Taking a look at the three indicators I am most commonly asked about, we have:

Positive Response from Thank You Letter – it is not necessary to respond to a thank you letter. That said, I was recently asked if this is a good sign, or indicator, that you would be selected for a next round interview. Unfortunately, it isn’t necessarily an indicator that you would be moving forward. However, it could be a good indicator of the company culture. At the very least, it is a strong indication of the attitude of the responder. This is also a good indicator that the responder likes you, which is always positive, regardless of the outcome.
Questions on Salary and/or Availability – this indicator depends on timing. For instance, during a telephone interview or pre-screen, the interviewer may ask about these line items simply because they need the information to make a short-list decision. As such, this alone is not an indicator that you are likely to move forward in the process (unless otherwise mentioned). On the other hand, if you are asked about salary and/or availability during a final round interview, this may be a strong indicator that you are being seriously considered for the role. This is especially true if the conversation becomes more like a negotiation.
Next Steps Discussion – a common question asked of interviewers is that of next steps. Many interviewers, anticipating this question, will simply outline the next steps in their recruitment process. In this case, it should not be considered an indication either way of your candidacy. If, however, the interviewer informs you of next steps and schedules a next round interview, then you know that you are still in the running.

Although each of these key indicators are potentially good signs that you would be moving forward in the recruitment process, it is important to consider these indicators in the context of timing.

Final Thoughts

Unless and until you have a job offer in hand, it is important to continue along your job search journey. Anything can happen in the recruitment process that could result in you no longer being in the running for a particular position – even in spite of the positive indicators that you might receive.

I hope you found this post helpful. If you have any additional insights, or would like to share your experience, I’d love to hear from you.

For personalized advice, click here.

Until next time, happy hunting!

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How to Turn an Interview Rejection into a Networking Opportunity

August 07 2016 nfougere Job Search 0 comments Tags: Interview Advice, Interview rejection, Networking

For anyone who has gone through the process of interviewing for jobs, you know that rejection comes with the territory. But, as the saying goes, when a door closes, a window opens. In the case of a job interview rejection, the window of opportunity is that of networking or generating job leads.

Steps to Generate a Networking Contact

Being rejected after an interview is never fun, but it doesn’t have to be the end of the story. Here are some key steps you can take to turn that rejection into a networking or job lead opportunity:

Ask for Feedback – as a best practice, ask your contact person for feedback on your interview performance. Having constructive feedback will help you pinpoint those areas that need improvement.
Attitude of Gratitude – think of the feedback you receive as a gift. It is aimed at helping you improve, which in turn will help you potentially land your next job. As such, thank the person providing you with the feedback, assure them that you will focus your attention on improving in the area(s) they listed, and then ask them to keep you in mind for opportunities they hear of within their organization or network.
Follow Up – although you may ask for feedback, you may not always receive it. If you haven’t heard anything in about a week, send a follow-up email expressing your continued interest in the organization and passion for the chosen career. You can also ask your contact to keep you in mind for any opportunities they hear of within their organization or network (as per above). Finally, in your email, you can also invite your contact to provide any feedback that would help you improve moving forward.

It may feel uncomfortable to ask for leads, but bear in mind, recruiters do this all the time. When I worked as a recruiter and a candidate indicated that they were not interested in an opportunity I was trying to fill, then I would always ask that person for referrals. In much the same way, if you find yourself out of the running for one job, then you can ask for job leads.

Be sure to keep in touch with those who have provided you with feedback and/or referrals. Send them an update on your job search, especially when you land your next job.

Final Thought

As I have mentioned in previous posts, you never know who you might know who could lead to your next job. Tapping into the network of a person you interviewed with may prove to be the window of opportunity you need. As such, don’t limit your ask to just a hiring manager.

I hope you found this post helpful. If you have any additional insights, or would like to share your experience, I’d love to hear from you.

For personalized advice, you click here.

Until next time, happy hunting!

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How to Conduct a Keyword Search on Job Boards

August 04 2016 nfougere Job Search 0 comments Tags: Job Search Advice, job search keywords, Job Search Tips

Searching for jobs online can feel like trying to find a needle in a haystack. Although upwards of 80% of jobs are found through networking, there are still a number of jobs that are found through applying to jobs that are posted online. As such, it is important that you include keyword job searches as part of your overall strategy.

Finding the Right Keywords to Use

The approach to finding the most relevant roles online is through using the right keywords in your search. Here’s the rub: determining the right keywords to use is a practice in trial and error. That said, there are a few steps you can take to find the most appropriate keywords:

Think of the Job Ad – ask yourself what your dream job would look like and how would the job ad be written. Think of the keywords that might be found in the job ad.
Start Broad, then Narrow – when starting your keyword search, start with using just the generic job title and see how many results are returned. If the search is too broad, add more keywords to the search string to narrow down the results. As an example, if you are looking for a project management role in construction for the mining industry, you may want to start by using the keywords project manager. Likely there will be hundreds of results, most of which would not be relevant. From there you can add the keyword construction. You will find more relevant roles, but they may not be industry specific. Continue adding more keywords to the search string until you find roles that would be of interest.
Save your Search – once your keywords return relevant results, save the search. Many job boards have such a “search agent” functionality, automating your keyword search.
Look for Themes – as you find relevant roles, see if you can spot themes in terms of the keywords used. Not only can you use these keywords in your future job searches, but you can also pepper these keywords (truthfully) throughout your resume.

Final Thoughts

There are more advanced techniques for conducting any sort of database search. Using Boolean operators, such as AND, NOT, and OR are examples of such techniques. Although it is out of the scope of this blog post, if you are interested in learning about conducting Boolean searches, there are numerous resources available online. The bottom line is that conducting a keyword search is not an exact science. Through practice and trial and error, you will develop this fundamental researching skill.

I hope you found this post helpful. If you have any additional insights, or would like to share your experience, I’d love to hear from you.

For personalized advice, click here.

Until next time, happy hunting!