The #LetteroftheDay is “M” as in Mass
One common mistake in the job search is sending out mass amounts of résumés without targeting each submission for the position that you are applying to. Additionally, job seekers often forgo preparing a customized cover letter because they don’t want to take the time, have the mindset that no one will read it, or believe that it doesn’t matter.
While it is true employers often don’t read cover letters, about 25% of employer do read them. The lack of preparing a customized cover letter portrays laziness and could be an automatic disqualifier. If you want a company to invest in you and your future, you should take a few extra minutes to invest in them.
The #LetteroftheDay is “N” as in Navigate
According to a recent survey conducted by ScottRasmussen.com, only 29% of American adults would feel safe riding in a self-driving car. Many adults, myself included, like to be behind the wheel where I can navigate my car the way I want without giving up control to someone else.
In many ways you career is very similar to driving an automobile. Do you want to navigate your career the way you see fit? Or would you rather have someone else take control. Sadly, many adults want to control their own destiny but let others steer the ship.
I suggest to my clients to spend some time in self-reflection to define what is important to them, what are they trying to accomplish, and identify the actions needs to achieve their goals. We often get to bogged down with simply trying to make it past the week that we forget what we are working for.
Take control of you own actions. You’re in charge.
The #LetteroftheDay is “O” as in Online
One of the first things that many job seekers do when beginning the search for a new position is look to online job boards – LinkedIn, Indeed, ZipRecuiter, CareerBuilder, and the list goes on and on.What many job seekers fail to realize is just how ineffective job boards truly are.
According to Fortune magazine, only 3.6% of jobs are filled through internet job posting while over 75% of positions are filled through networking. I encourage my clients to spend 75% of their time on building their network instead of trying to get past the ATS blackhole.
If you choose to use online job boards, look to niche career sites for your industry.
Here are a few of my favorites:
- Dice.com for IT positions
- HealthcareJobSite.com for health care jobs
- SalesGravy.com for sales positions
- HCareers.com for hospitality job
The #LetteroftheDay is “P” as in Pipe Dream.
In a recent survey, 43% of registered voters said that if they had the chance, they would go into space, land on the moon, and then return to earth. Unless you are Elon Musk, that is a pipe dream for the rest of us.
Just because a goal may seem out of reach, doesn’t mean you should give up chasing it. Too often I’ve seen job seekers get frustrated, disappointed, and angry because of challenges in landing their dream job. While rejection can be painful, it should serve as motivation and an opportunity to determine the best course of action to obtain your goals.
Have a trusted friend, colleague, or family member that you can talk to, hold you accountable for your actions (or lack thereof), and help you remain positive during those down moments.
The #LetteroftheDay is “Q” as in Quotations
One way for your résumé to stand out from the crowd is to include quotes or endorsements from credible sources that supports your expertise and accomplishments.
Consider including a quote (or a few) from a colleague, employer or client that validates your industry knowledge and supports the achievement that you have included
The purpose of your resume is to sell yourself to a prospective employer. It says, “Take a look at all I have to offer.” Now partner that with a glowing endorsement from another professional to reinforce your selling points; a succinct sentence or two to substantiate your value is all that is needed.
The #LetteroftheDay is “R” as in Recruiters
Most recruiters are very good at what they do. They are the ultimate networkers and always on the lookout to match qualified candidates with their next great job opportunity. Unfortunately, on occasion, things are not always as they seem.
I recently was contacted by a client who was in communication with a recruiter about a position but was saying that his résumé was not ATS compliant. He was instructing my client to go to another website and pay to have his résumé ATS optimized. Recruiters are in the business of screening applicants and making matches, not running your résumé through an ATS system. When a recruiter submits your résumé to a client, it is usually sending it directly to their contact not through an automated system.
I wrote about this topic on my blog in February 2018.
https://allstarcareerservices.com/best-practices/ats-scams/
Most recruiters truly do have the best of intentions but if something seems fishy, it probably is.
