March 4th– The #LetteroftheDay is “R as in Ranked
One effective strategy when highlighting your accomplishments on your résumé to show how you rank in comparison to your peers. This can be especially effective if you work for a struggling company where KPI is down across the board.
Let’s say you are in a sales role and you missed quota by 5%…that is probably not a story to tell. However, if everyone missed their quota by an average of 10%, you may be able to say you were ranked #1 or #2 in sales to quota, which tells a different story.
To provide additional scope, add that you were ranked #1 of out how many. Being ranked #1 out of 3 tells a different story than being ranked #1 out of 25.
March 5th– The #LetteroftheDay is “S” as in Silence
Over the course of a 2-week period, you submitted 8 résumés, had 2 phone interviews, and connected with 4 hiring managers on LinkedIn. You keep checking your inbox and waiting for the phone to ring. Silence. Now what?
The most successful job seekers take charge of their situation. Instead of sitting back and waiting for the hiring manager to reach out to you, follow up with them. There is no fixed rule on when you should follow up after an application, but 43% of hiring managers suggest between 1-2 weeks and 30% suggest between 2-3 weeks.
If you know who the hiring manager is, drop them a short note on LinkedIn by introducing yourself, expressing your interest in the position, highlighting one or two key points that will be the most impressive to them, and attaching a copy of your résumé. Remember to keep it succinct as recruiters often skim through messages.
March 6th– The #LetteroftheDay is “T” as is Tenacity
As a rough general rule of thumb, the average job search takes approximately one month for every $10,000 in salary. Over the course of your job search, you will likely experience a myriad of feelings from self-doubt to elation. One trait that successful job seekers have in common is their tenacity.
Riding a rollercoaster of emotions is no easy task, but determination and persistence can pay big dividends. Here are a few tips to help you persevere:
- Build a strong support system of friends, family, and colleagues that can help you ride the waves
- Keep in mind the phrase, “this too shall pass”
- Just because you may not land the job doesn’t mean there was anything you could have done differently to change the result; often times companies make hiring decisions based on factor you can’t control
- Check out All★Star Career Services 21-day Mental Health Challenge
March 7th– The #LetteroftheDay is “U” as in Unsolicited
Can you send an unsolicited résumé to an employer for a job opening that doesn’t exist? Absolutely! Depending on the source, 70% – 85% of jobs are not advertised anywhere. You may not think an opening exists, but data tells another story.
Recruiters are always looking for applicants that stick out in a positive way. Taking the initiative alone to target a company and submit a résumé is cause for recruiters to pause and take a second look.
March 8th– The #LetteroftheDay is “V” as in Vacation
One often overlooked aspect of negotiating compensation for a new job is your vacation time and benefits package.
Job seekers tend to focus exclusively on negotiating a high salary and tend to forget about benefits. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, benefits account for 31.7% of an employee’s overall compensation package.
The next time you are negotiating for a new job, you may be able to get an additional week of vacation, additional sick days, flexible scheduling, childcare reimbursement, tuition reimbursement, and more
