3 Ways to Sell Yourself in Your Executive Resume

3 Ways to Sell Yourself in Your Executive Resume 3 Ways to Sell Yourself in Your Executive Resume I see it all the time high-level, super-talented executives earningsix-figure salaries, leading large organizations, and making major financial impacts with mediocre (at best) resumes.Sigh.It doesnt have to be this way. Your resume should be just as impressive as your actual career. After all, it is a representation of your professional life.Mediocre resumes happen to the best of us especially if we never take time out of our professional journeys to reflect exactly on what makes us great.But thats no excuse, especially not for executives. Today, it is vital to have a branded executive resume that sells your value. The job market is definitely not what it was when you first started your career and worked your way up the corporate ladder. Itsa dog-eat-dog world out there.Okay, maybe Im being a bit dramatic but if you dont know how to play the game, youre dead in the water.There are a m ultitude of ways to brand your executive resume and really sell yourself. Here are a few tips on the topic from a certified resume expert1. Pinpoint Your UniquenessThink about it When youre hiring, yourelooking for someone special.You want that purple squirrel with aproven track record and a specific set of skills that will positively impact the business.Well, now the tables have turned. You need to be that someone special in a hiring managers life.Funny, isnt it?Start by taking inventory of what youve done for your past employers. Look for trends in your career history. Perhaps youre the go-to guy (or gal) for realigning and reenergizing disjointed teams. Maybe youre theperson who can integrate technology into business operations to maximize profits.Whatever it is, its your unique story. Once you figure it out, tie it back to what your future bosses will be looking for in a candidate. Then, infuse this message into your resume.Master this, and everything else should fall into place . Your resume will morph into a value-based, highly focused document that sells you like hot cakes2. Quantify Your AchievementsDont be afraid to add a few numbers here and there or, screw it, everywhereNo, seriously Try to incorporate performance metrics into every bullet.Tell the reader how much money you saved, how many new clients you secured, how much revenue you generated, how many team members you led, how much you improved productivity,how many states were in your territory, how many cups of coffee you drank every day oops. Sorry. I got carried away for a second.The point is, quantifying your achievements validates your claims of being agreat leader. Heres a quick example Instead of writing, Led team of engineers in the integration of multiple process-improvement initiatives, you can dig deeper and get mora specific Led team of 60 engineers in the integration of 12 large-scale process-improvement initiatives with combined budget of $25M.This gives the readera better idea of the scope of what you did while offering them an opportunity to determine if the position at hand is a good fit for you. Surely you wouldnt want to go from a team of 60 to a team of 5? You likely want to move upward and onward to increasingly challenging roles. This is a great way for the recruiter to understandyour level and how it aligns with the open position.3. Add a Graph or Chart That Highlights Your AccomplishmentsYou only have an average of six seconds to impress a recruiter with your resume. Whats the best way to grab their attention in such a short period of time?Recruiters arent going to dig through dense paragraphs to find your achievements. Why should they? They dont have the time to play detective and search through your resume to figure out why youre special. Make it crystal clear.A graph or chart that showcases how much you grew productivity or how you led sales to explode 300 percent in one year conveys the message much faster than a buried sentence could.Furthermo re, a chart or graph can break up the monotony for recruiters, who look at hundreds of resumes day in and day out. Most are pretty lackluster. Furtherdifferentiating yourself by putting forth a professional, butexciting document that makes you stand out thatis the name of the game.I know Your expertise is in generating revenue for your company, not writing about yourself. Still, these tips should help you get off to a good start. And if youre not sure that you can do this on your own, you can always look for help from a credentialed executive resume writer.Melanie L. Denny is president of Resume-Evolution.Master the art of closing deals and making placements. Take our Recruiter Certification Program today. Were SHRM certified. Learn at your own pace during this 12-week program. Access over 20 courses. Great for those who want to break into recruiting, or recruiters who want to further their career.

6 Tips for Negotiating Your First Job Offer

6 Tips for Negotiating Your First Job Offer6 Tips for Negotiating Your First Job OfferEven if youre tempted to say yes automatically, its so worth your while to step back and look before you leap. You may worry that in todays competitive market the job offer will be retracted if you negotiate salary and benefits. But the key is to have a deft negotiation strategy once the job is on the table.Still hesitant about negotiating your first job offer? Consider this if you departure out at a lower salary, the cumulative cost over the course of your career could be astounding. As noted in this Forbes article, a salary difference of $5,000 in your 20s could add up to to a million dollars or more by the time you retire. Bottom line dont shy away from negotiating, even if this is your first job offer ever.Study up on these sixtips for negotiating your first job offer1. Know your value in the marketplace.Heres where your research about the company, the job, and the industry will be essential. A major goal in negotiating is not to sell yourself short by quickly accepting a lowball offer because youre simply so happy to get the job.However, you also dont want to go overboard and price yourself out of the position. If you fully understand what your skills and education are worth in the industry marketplace, youll be on firm ground during salary negotiations.2. Dont play hardball.While you want to be definite during the negotiations, avoid a hard-nosed approach, which could lead employers to think youre difficult and not a team player. Be reasonable or you could lose the offer.Negotiating your first job offer requires walking a fine line, but its important tomake any requests known now. Many employers actually expect some level of negotiation at this stage, even from younger professionals in their first job.3. Be clear on job responsibilities. Exactly what does your new job entail? What are the hours and goals? Setting expectations now will queue you up to do great work that m eets or succeeds your potential employers needs. Its also good to know whatyour job titlewill be.If youre stepping into a position where the title has been determined beforehand you may be happy with that. If not, research companies for jobs with similar duties and explore what job titles they use.4. Figure out jobflexibility going in.If youre looking for job flexibility- for example, the ability to work remotely some or perhaps all of the time- start the discussion now. If younegotiate flexible work optionswhen the job offer is made both you and your employer will start off on the same page, especially if work flexibility is a top priority for you. If you wait until you start the job, you may find it difficult to backtrack and ask for job flexibility after the fact.5. Find out about tools and training.What technical and other support does your potential new employer provide new employees? If the job involves remote work, what platforms does the company use and how you will you acce ss them?If youre just setting up a home office, offers home office and tech tips that may facilitate youraccess to both internal and external communications the company uses. Ask what support the employer may offer, and dont hesitate to take it.6. Dont be afraid to say no.This may be the scariest thing of all, but dont be afraid to say no if the job offer just doesnt measure up to your expectations. Be professional, of course, if youve weighed the job offer and decide to respectfully decline.Just as you would after a job interview, sending a thank-you notefor the job offer is always a good idea.Looking to get better at interviewing? Check out our job interviewing tips category.

Need a killer support system 3 steps to take right now

Need a killer support system 3 steps to take right nowNeed a killer support system 3 steps to take right nowYoure notlage meant to do any of this alone. Although, it can feel that way. When the times are down, or youre a bit unsure, or youre feeling some things that youreallywish that you werent feelingsometimes the easiest thing to do is clam up. Admit it to no one. And put all of the pressure on figuring out what to do about it.You actually do need support. Not from everyone. And not at all times. But when youre working on pushing the train out of the station, its helpful to not have to do that alone and rely on the energy thats around you. There IS so much around, if you take the time to look for it, to build it, to deepen it, and to call on it. And byitI mean them. Your support system.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreIts OK if you dont feel like you have one. Its OK if your s ystem is small. Its OK youre still testing the waters with those people. But like any good system, youre going to work together with what you do have. Or work to set it up so you can get there. If you already have a killer one, great. Dont take it for granted and rather make the fruchtwein of whats supporting you.No matter where youre at, dont miss on these right now.Becausethe journey is far more beautiful when its accented with the people who get us. And who want the best for us.First, assess who who your cheerleaders are.In the constellation that is your support system, the brightest light are the people always cheering you on. I talk about cheerleadersa lot.Because when youre up, or when youre way down, these people have so got you. Recently though, I was pulled aside by a young woman who asked, But if you have no idea who these people arehow do you look for them? To which I responded with something along the linesof this.Second, figure out your roster.Taking time to know who do es what in your support system is going to help you. Itll ensure you know who to go to for what. It doesnt mean you need a million different types of people, it just might mean you need a few people who can provide you with lots of different things.Heres some starters to consider.Lastly, support them.What comes around goes around. So make sure to give your love, give your enthusiasm, and be generous with your encouragement for all the people who are so generous with theirs. Itll bring the system closer together.Youre not alone.And in the days you feel like you are, remember to start here. Everyones support system started somewhere.This article originally appeared on Maxie McCoy.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will ersatzdarsteller your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people

How You Can Use Empathy to Improve Your Workplace

How You Can Use Empathy to Improve Your WorkplaceHow You Can Use Empathy to Improve Your WorkplaceWhat is empathy? Simply put, its the ability to understand the feelings and emotions of otherbei people. Empathy in the workplace is just an application of general empathy. Some people are naturally good at this and cant imagine any other way to be than empathetic. Other employees arent as keyed into the feelings of other people. Its leid a morality issue, so dont worry if you dont naturally perceive the emotions of those around you. But empathy is also taught, as evidenced by the fact that college students today are 40 percent less empathetic than college students 30 years ago. So, obviously, something has changed in society. Empathy in the Workplace A 2018 State of Workplace Empathy Study by Businessolver found that 96 percent of employees surveyed believed it was important for their employers to demonstrate empathy. On the other hand, 92 percent thought that empathy remains underv alued. And eight of 10 employees, HR professionals and CEOs agreed that an empathetic workplace has a positive impact on business performance, motivating workers and increasing productivity. Thus, using empathy in the workplace can make life better for everyone. First, here are four ways to develop empathy in yourself. 4 Ways to Build Empathy in Yourself to Improve Your Workplace Psychologist Marcia Reynolds provides four ways to build empathy Be quiet, inside and out.Fully watch as well as listen.Ask yourself what you are feeling.Test your instinct. You can also apply these four ways ?in your workplace. Heres how to apply each one in your workplace. Be Quiet, Inside and Out If your brain is constantly going, going, going, its hard to stop and landsee and feel what is going on around you in the workplace. Often, when things get busy, and you get stressed, you can forget your own feelings, let alone the feelings of others. Most people will agree with the old adage that no one says on their death bed that they wished theyd spent more time at work. But, agreeing with the adage doesnt stop people from working way too many hours. Why is that? Because being busy and having a loud brain can drown out your true feelings- that your families and friends and life outside of work are more important than your job. So every day, stop and breathe, or take a walk at lunch, just to clear your head. A bit of quiet helps you figure out what you are really thinking and feeling. (See step three.) Fully Watch as Well as Listen Listening isnt just hearing words but seeking to understand. Watching is also critical to building your ability to empathize with other people. Body language can often tell you more about what people think and feel than their words can. To build empathy in the workplace, you need to see your coworkers, bosses and direct reports to help you understand their feelings. When you all work in the same place, that is easy. You can tell that Jane is going through a rough time because shes walking around hunched over and keeping to herself, whereas she normally walks straight and says hi to everyone she passes. You can tell that Steve is on cloud nine because hes practically skipping down the hall. But how do you build empathy in the workplace if youre all working from home, or your team is spread out across several sites? This often happens in Human Resources. You may have one HR person per physical location, but you are each others coworkers and support system. You not only need empathy towards the people at your site but towards your fellow HR people. Using video conferencing instead of just teleconferencing can help you watch and listen to your colleagues. Some people resist the idea of video conferencing because they dont feel comfortable on camera. Thats understandable, but that discomfort can help everyone understand each other better. Your tone of voice is also critical and speaking with one another instead of communicating a lmost exclusively by email, text, Slack, or other messaging services can help you build empathy. This is because you understand what your coworker thinks and feels. Or at least you understand their feelings a bit better. Ask Yourself What You Are Feeling Wait, wasnt this about building empathy towards others?Yes, but you need to understand your feelings if you want to understand the feelings of others. Dr. Reynolds recommends using an emotional inventory several times a day to analyze how you are feeling. When you stop and think, How am I feeling right after I got a new, huge assignment? and the answer is, excited and overwhelmed, then you can apply that to others around you. Jane just got the new project that will take up every waking moment for the next six months. She must be feeling overwhelmed with all the work, and she might be feeling excited if she thinks this will help her towards a promotion. When you know that youll feel overwhelmed by a new challenge you can make a g ood guess that another person is feeling overwhelmed at the same thing. If you have a hard time evaluating your own feelings, using this emotional inventory can help increase your skill in this area. As you become more adept at understanding your own feelings, youll get better at understanding the feelings of the people around you. Not everyone experiences the same feelings at the same issues as you do, though, so act carefully, which leads to step four. Test Your Instinct to Become Empathetic Theres a reason this is step four and not step one. You dont want to just walk up to people and say, Hey, I bet youre angry at your low raise. That remark will not go over well. You need to take care by testing your instinct- but do start. Think back to the earlier example of Jane receiving a new, labor-intensive project. Youve examined your feelings after getting a similar assignment, and you felt overwhelmed and excited about it. You want to test if Jane is feeling the same way. Consider the following Why do you need to know how she is feeling? If its just nosiness, forget it. But, if you work near Jane or have insights into her project or are already good friends with her, checking with her will help you support her.What will you do with this knowledge? If its just a fist pump of hey, I am totally nailing this empathy thing, its silly. But if you want to do the right thing by Jane, knowing is important. If youre wrong, finding out early can help you support her. After all, you may see this project as a stepping stone, but Jane may see it as a burden that is keeping her from accomplishing her real goals. With these two things in mind, you can approach Jane, Wow, Jane, I just heard you got the new Acme project. Thats huge. I would feel overwhelmed by that but also excited about the growth opportunities. How are you feeling? Note that you are not saying, Wow. You must be simultaneously excited and overwhelmed You are telling her your feelings and waiting for her to tell you hers. She may or may not feel like sharing. She may or may not know exactly how she is feeling. Regardless of her answer, you are there to support your coworker. If she responds that she is excited and overwhelmed, congratulate her on her next step up the career ladder. Offer her any help that you can give. If she says, Nah, I did a project almost exactly like this at my last job. This will be a piece of cake, then say, Wow, awesome. No wonder they gave it to you. Youll be able to do it with your eyes closed. If she bursts into tears and says this is the wrong direction for her career. It will take too much time away from her family. If she actually sees it as a punishment for her bad abverkauf figures last quarter, you have to exhibit empathy and stick around to talk with her. You cant push people to open up about their feelings and run when they do. That behavior makes for a less pleasant, empathetic workplace. Overall, when you use empathy in the workplace, you can under stand your coworkers better. This means that you can function more as a team. And thats great for any business. Suzanne Lucas is a freelance journalist specializing in Human Resources. Suzannes work has been featured on notes publications including Forbes, CBS, Business Insider and Yahoo.

A Gluten-Free Dining Companion

A Gluten-Free Dining Companion A Gluten-Free Dining Companion A Gluten-Free Dining CompanionShireen Yates, CEO and co-founder of San Francisco-based Nima, was once just anotherbei person suffering from celiac disease. I found out I could not process it gluten back in college, about 14 years ago, and I had stomach aches, she says. I never had issues before and found out I had food intolerances, gluten among them. I found people were getting more aware of how food was affecting them and I wanted to be a part of giving people better information for what they were putting in their body.She believes going to MIT for business school helped put her in touch with engineering that could help. Multiple important members of the company went to MIT for engineering and we agreed that we wanted a product that took less than five minutes to get an answer, and then even faster. To keep pushing, she says. You vary different textures and types of food, not measuring the type of food in the system. It was about how do we normalize it and could we accurately say there was or wasnt gluten at a certain threshold.The chemistry-based sensor developed involves an antibody-based assay that breaks down the food that the user puts into a capsule. It breaks down the food and extracts the proteins for a complex food matrix, Yates says. The disposable unit has a test strip that is coated with antibodies and the chemistry is ultimately triggered. The strip dissolves and the sensor finds if certain proteins are on the strip. Gluten will bond to it to make the color change and get picked up by a reader. There are other gluten testing products that use spectroscopy involving a laser, Yates says, and look at the molecular component of what youre scanning, but she doesnt feel that route gets the same level of detection.Image nimasensor.comDr. Jingquing Zhang, a scientist for Nima, explained in a 2015 presentation on the Nimasensor YouTube channel that if there isnt a signal on the sensor then the food item has no more than 20 parts per million, the maximum amount the FDA allows in order for the item to be called gluten free. Zhang, who has a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from MIT, further mentioned that the sensor had been tested on items such as tacos, omelets, and noodles but not fermented drinks such as wine.The sensor works with a lithium-ion battery and is a USB-charged device. Each test costs $3.99 and takes between two and three minutes and the sensor could be purchased for $199 at the time of the interview with Yates. It is slated to retail at $249 when it comes out in the fall.Once a food server herself, Yates believes the product can provide peace of mind not only for those expecting their food but for the restaurant that wants the customer to have a good experience and not end up sick. She also says the goal is to expand to allergens such as peanuts and milk, with those sensors being developed for 2017.I know firsthand what gluten issues can do to someone and the difference you feel when its taken out of your diet, Yates says. People shouldnt have to suffer when they just want to enjoy a meal.Eric Butterman is an independent writer.Learn the best practices for bringing your research to market and creating marketable solutions at ASMEs COMS 2016. For Further Discussion I know firsthand what gluten issues can do to someone and the difference you feel when its taken out of your diet. People shouldnt have to suffer when they just want to enjoy a meal.Shireen Yates, CEO, Nima

Where to Find Simple Resume Templates

Where to Find Simple Resume Templates The Chronicles of Simple Resume Templates Objective is 1 factor which could be included in the schablone. When you download the template, it is going to be wholly designed for you. Therefore, for those who have a resume template, you dont need to worry about standards. Each resume template ought to be related to the vacant punkt and shouldnt sound generic. The Essentials of Simple Resume Templates That You Can Learn From Beginning Right Away Many job seekers go overboard and pick the incorrect template. To receive your facts together once you write your CV, it can help to know just what is wanted and expected by both employers and recruiters. So its advantageous if you refer the hottest resumes. Resume template will be able to help you in earning your application impressive and as stated by the expectations of the employer. Personal Copy Some program wont enable the user the choice of saving their work and using it again, especially if it is among the free resume on-line varieties. A free resume template is a kind of basic sample for a resume that a man or woman might want to develop. There are several free resume samples or templates readily available online, which make it simple and convenient for somebody to modify one according to their very own requirements. There are many kinds of resume templates readily available online and youll be able to select the one which is suitable for your need. Little research for the suitable template increases your odds of getting your dream job. You would also be a good idea to find a template provided by means of a company that will also help you compose a cover letter for your resume. If youre searching for a free resume template its probably likely to be in your very best interest to take what you like from a couple of different examples and, create your own customized resume template that youll be in a position to easily merge with your present content. Moreover , utilizing a resume template will not just accelerate the procedure for writing a resume, but in addition help in crafting a professional looking, eye-catching resume. Definitions of Simple Resume Templates Basically, in the majority of the companies, the post of administrative assistant forms a more of an overall designation that may cover a huge selection of job oriented task and skills and owing to the exact same reason it complicates the procedure for writing a specific resume for the very same title. Including an objectives section at the commencement of your resume provides a concise introduction to the intention behind the resume, highlighting your career objectives and the kind of job you are searching for. Or one may need a skill based resume which helps to emphasize your abilities and achievements that are directly relevant to a particular job target that is also offered. Dont expect an employer to select the opportunity to determine whether you truly have the skills being sought. The Simple Resume Templates Trap Using a template can help to minimize a number of the extraneous tasks related to creating a resume and allows the writer to concentrate on the content. The issue is that, while templates may provide you a simple format outline, it doesnt tell you exactly what to actually write in it or how to write it. Last, ensure you use the right electronic edition. If youve got a strangely formatted resume, it is going to be problematic for the software to read your resume. Make certain that the template youre choosing can highlight your details in the ideal approach. Thus, selecting a fantastic layout and font would enable you to get the ideal appearance. So in the event the typeface employed in your resume sample is inappropriate it may have a negative visual effect on the reader. Benefits of Resume Templates The templates are helpful because it is going to help you to make a professional resume even in the event that you dont have the idea about formatting a customized resume that may incorporate all the critical details. Fourth, it must be in Word format. If youre managing software, it must permit you to save or export to Word format. Using resume filtering software may give your company a tremendous boost. If You Read Nothing Else Today, Read This Report on Simple Resume Templates There are a lot of on-line builders. Keep in mind, free resume templates are made to grab your attention, not the interest of the folks who actually matter, like hiring managers and recruiters. As youre attempting to discover work, among the best tools youll be in a position to have at your disposal is a completely free printable resume. If youre attempting to acquire a new job thats different from what it is that youre accustomed to, you might prefer to think about an absolutely free printable resume which you will have the ability to adopt and modify to your own info. There is just one opportunity for a very first review of your resume. Employ A Professional Editor While you might not require expert editing services each and each time you send in a resume, employing an editor to comb through your resume before you hit the work market hard is a superb idea. You need your resume to stand out and result in work interview. For a superb education resume or an academic resume the principal information is the work profile. In the event the template isnt in an appropriate format there isnt any value of using it. You must compose your resume in a normal format. If you pick the functional format, its to your benefit to create a combined format. Chronological format is chiefly used. What to Expect From Simple Resume Templates? Nowadays, obtaining a generic resume is most likely the worst mistake a work seeker can make. You just need to create your own decision about which template will help you the most and help youve got the very best possibility of finding the job which you desire. If your reply is yes then youre all set. A template will inform you all of the relevant data that you need to be mentioning in your CV, with particular reference to the sort of position you are trying to find.

Effective Strategies for Hiring A Sales Team - Spark Hire

Effective Strategies for Hiring A Sales Team - Spark HireIt takes a certain font of person to excel in a abverkauf role, so as youre hiring sales representatives youll want to put plenty of thought into the process. While experience counts, youll also want to analyze how the person interviews. Are they friendly and cheerful? Do they speak passionately about the job? Salespeople must be highly self-motivated, so if this trait is missing you may end up regretting your hiring choice. In order to streamline the interview process and ensure the best results, consider these ideasPut a few tests into placeMany people can interview well, but this doesnt necessarily mean that they can execute. If a person comes across as dynamic and charming in a first interview, you may want to consider offering them a series of tests in the second round to ensure that they can back up their charisma with real skills. Depending on the type of product your company sells, have them put together a mock presenta tion for a client and then deliver this presentation to you. This helps you to get a sense of how they would do should they be offered the role.Always be recruitingTurnover rates in sales can be high, due to the demanding nature of the job (not to mention the fact that salespeople often have to deal with constant rejection). If youre always scrambling to fill holes on your team, you may find that you make unwise hiring decisions out of haste. To prevent this from happening, you should constantly have an awareness of great talent in your industry, and should have good working relationships with these individuals. This way, if an immediate need becomes available, you can start having a conversation with one of these people instead of having to take whoever submits a resume and hoping for the best.Consider passion and enthusiasmYou can teach facts about your industry and about your product. However, you cant teach enthusiasm and focus remember that as youre hiring. Its easy to get swep t away by someones experience, but its much smarter to hire someone whos eager to learn than it is to hire someone whos burnt out but experienced.What do you look for in qualifikation sales team members? Let us know in the commentsImage Wavebreak Media Ltd/BigStock.com

How to Reach a Real Person in Your Online Job Search

How to Reach a Real Person in Your Online Job Search How to Reach a Real Person in Your Online Job Search Technology is changing the way we search for work.Technology has made it easy for job seekers to connect with employers via email. But with thousands of resumes being sent to philanthropisch resources (HR) inboxes with the click of a mouse, HR departments were quickly overwhelmed screening hundreds or thousands of resumes this was neither cost-effective or efficient.Applicant tracking systems (ATS) automated the screening process, freeing humans from having to sift through stacks of resumes. Companies aimed to hire the best candidate without having to do tedious, expensive work, but even with ATS in place, companies continue to spend an average of $4,129 on a new hire, according to the Society of Human Resource Management.While ATS improved the cost-effectiveness and efficiency of the hiring process for companies, these systems are not designed to benefit the job-seeking candidat e. So how does a job seeker get ahead?In the new world of automation, robots, and ATS, one element of job search appears forgotten the lost art of human connection and conversation. It is, after all, a human, not a robot, that will decide whether to hire you.According to a 2016 Careerbuilder report, 18% of job seekers said they will check out hiring managers on social media platforms while job hunting.Just 18%. This means 82% of your competition isnt conducting preliminary research in their job search. This is one way to differentiate yourself.How to reach real people in your job searchBefore doing any of the items listed below, remember like any relationship, first, build trust. With that in mind, here are a few ideas on how to find and connect with a human in your job search.Search the company websiteSome (smaller) companies have employees listed on their website. Others (Government of Canada, for example) have dedicated directory sites. Use these to learn mora about the people in side the organization.Call the companys main lineAsk the receptionist for the name of the part to whom you can address your cover letter. Hi, this is (Your Name) calling. Im applying for the standort of (Position Title) that is posted on your website. Id like to personalize my cover letter before I send it. What is the name of the person to whom I can address my letter?Instead of a generic cover letter To whom it may concern, you send a tailored letter to Ms. Byonce, (for example). Now that you have a name, try to learn a bit more about her using Google, the company website, and LinkedIn.Research using LinkedInYou can use LinkedIn to search people, jobs, content, companies, schools, and groups. Use the search feature to find decision makers at specific companies.For example If you are looking to work with the Toronto Public Library, you might search Toronto Public Library, Human Resources as a starting point or Toronto Public Library Executive.Once you identify someone of interest, read their profile to learn more. Are you and anyone in your 1st, 2nd, or 3rd connections already linked to this person? If so, reach out to that friend to learn more and ask for an introduction. This is the true value of a well-cultivated network on LinkedIn. Leverage the people you already know to introduce you to those you want to meet.Oprah, I see you are connected to Ms. Byonce on LinkedIn. Shes the decision maker at Company JZ, a company Im looking to work with. Would you please introduce us? Here are a few things to highlight about me in your introductionIf you are not connected, consider using the InMail feature to write a polite message identifying why you would like to connect.This research and networking only pays off when you are prepared to talk to Ms. Byonce or any other decision maker at company JZ. Before you reach out to anyone by email, LinkedIn, phone, or text, have something of value to offer them. Dont try to wing it. Preparation is key.Caution This can be done well or in a creepy, unpleasant manner. Choose the former and guard against stalker-esque behavior and/or intense following that may give off the wrong signals.If youre worried you may appear too eager, turn your privacy settings to Anonymous LinkedIn Member before you begin. If youre comfortable doing this research, keep your settings Profile viewing options set to Your Name and Headline. Who knows, maybe the person will be impressed with your ability to learn more about them and the company.Bottom line Keep it professional. Heres the link to make changes to your privacy settings and profile visibility on LinkedIn.Find an email addressAustin Belcak shared a trick for finding anyones email. With a first name, last name, and the name of the company, go to Hunter.io or Voilanorbert.com then test the email using MailTester.com or emailgenerator.io. With an email address, you may be able to connect to people within the organization.Get creative. Reach out to othersJust this week, I work ed with a client to prepare for an upcoming screening. I had encouraged her to do some research to learn more about the organization and the people in it. She was savvy. She identified the person who vacated the position and reached out. They spoke about the organization and my client was able to gain additional access to information. Because the job posting was vague, talking to someone who had worked in the organization for 25+ years gave my client greater insight into the role. It is a hiring process not a hot potatoDo more than submit your online application. Be proactive. Find a way to make a human connection. This not only makes you a better-informed candidate, it gives you an advantage in an automated job search. Where only 18% of your competition is conducting research on the people inside the hiring process, be the top candidate who establishes relationships, asks questions, learns from people and applies that learning into an improved overall candidacy.Your combined effort s to speak to both the robot and the human in your job search may give you an advantage and prepare you for the next stage in the hiring process in a way fruchtwein other candidates havent even considered.Maureen McCann, BA, CCDP, MCRS, MCIS, MCCS, MCES is a fierce advocate of career development. Founder of Promotion Career Solutions, she is one of Canadas top executive resume writers with 15+ years experience. Facilitator of Technology Optimized Resumes for Career Professionals of Canada, Maureen teaches resume writers how to optimize writing for ATS.

If you write your emails exactly like this, you will almost always get a reply

If you write your emails exactly like this, you will almost always get a replyIf you write your emails exactly like this, you will almost always get a replyData obtained by an Atlanta based company called SalesLoft showcases the surprising factors that determine whether or not recipients respond to our emails. The in-depth deconstruction of over a million emails highlights the proper words and volumes that will most likely receive responses.To boost your reply tarifs when looking for a new position, consider every word before reaching out to potenzial employers. Phrasing and density have a shockingly crucial effect.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreNo numbersI for one was surprised to learn how much power the subject line of an email has. As far as articulation is concerned, you can never be too careful.For instance, the Salesloft study determined that subject lines that include n umbers are much less likely to be responded to than those that do not by about 32%.In almost every instance brevity proved to be an effective virtue. Emails with a subject line containing just one word were found to be 87% more likely to be responded to. One word is typically enough for recipients to correctly identify the goal of the email assuming it is not intended as a greeting.In this occasion, two words trump one for the subject line, with the word hey being the most effective leading word by 23%. If you are unaware of the recipients personenname still include hey followed by a word like there.If the subject line for a non-greeting email simply has to be more than one word try to limit yourself to five or less.Short, personal, agreeableAn adherence to compression should be additionally applied to the body of your email. Emails that were 50 words or less boosted reply rates by more than 40%. Avoid crowding the body with unnecessary characters and fluff.Emails that contain bulle ts are 37% less likely to receive responses and emails that do not contain links are rewarded a 38% boost to reply rates.A good general rule of thumb is to maintain a sense of professionalism that also feels just a touch personal. Steer clear of words that you wouldnt use with a colleague in person. Abbreviations like P.S read as too awkward and rigid.Best was deemed to be the most effective way to punctuate a good professional email.Its also important to make the recipient aware if your correspondence is because of a referral as soon as possible as subject lines that contain the word referral have a 536% higher reply rate than average emails.Below is a strong example of a succinct non-greeting email.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an intervie w, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people

A Guts-for-Brains Resume

A Guts-for-Brains Resume A Guts-for-Brains Resume Because of, or perhaps despite, his self-effacing, if not self-eradicating blunt pitch, Le Gauche does have an employment history, however humble it may seem (including a current stint as a caretaker, which he cites in a blog to blunt allegations hes trying to get on or be eligible for the dole).Whats So Bad about Telling the Unpleasant Truth?What caught my eye and interest is the question his resume implicitly poses Its apparent comic entertainment value aside, does a brutally frank and refreshingly revealing resume have merit as a serious resume form, and if not, why not?This question discounts the aforementioned possibility that the real purpose of such a self-incriminating resume is to qualify for or retain unemployment benefits through a konstant job search that carries no risk of being hired. However, dismissing this possibility may be unwise, given that, as mentioned, Le Gauche provides no contact information, apart from his blog- which, of curse, raises the possibility that the whole thing is a genial hoax, yet, from a recruiting standpoint, an instructive one, as will be argued below.But first, to get a taste of that kind of no-holds-barred candor- the kind that will elicit a gasp, shrug, laugh and the thought that the guy cant be serious, here are excerpts from Le Gauches ostensibly self-shredding resume, revealingly given the peculiar URL, http//curriculumvitiate.wordpress.com/the-cv/,which is based on his online I.D.- perhaps through a self-sabotaging Freudian slip or wry sense of humor(Boldface and italics, mine and vitiate construed as spoil, pervert, or invalidate.)My name is BENEDICT LE GAUCHE and I was born on 02/05/83 which makes me 28 and ripe as a lemon. Im looking for a job Ill like. As a man of integrity Im not about to try and give you the impression that all the jobs Ive had previously were brilliant learning experiences tailor-made to equip me for precisely the job Im applying for (hel lo you) when in reality they have been, for the greater part, boring and drudgerous (sic) and disheartening. I should state I was not bad at them. The capacity to bear such trials whilst retaining an at-most-times sunny disposition might be called something like the ability to work under pressure.via some kind of weird pride or fear of being disliked I have hitherto been inspired to perform above averagely for every company Ive ever worked for and believe that I can beschirrung this same fear in the furthering of your company goals. Who knows? I might even like the job Though this is statistically improbable.I like working on my own if there isnt anyone fun to work with but can also stand the company of people I hold in contempt and am, in this sense, versatile.I really excel at customer service and do, through great force of will and habit, hide the worst of my qualities.(One of his prior jobs) Telephone GuyGOVNET, Manchester 15/8/2009 to 28/8/2009 Duties included Pretending to be on the phone. Joining my irrevocably compromised colleagues in the morning chorus of IM GOING TO SELL SELL SELL (my soul). Trying to work out what it was the company did and what part of that I was supposed to be doing. Hiding.(Job at Blackwells Bookstore) Duties included Daily use of the full suite of Microsoft Office programmes. For two years. So now I cant look at a latticed window without seeing, in my minds eye, Excel and everything that follows.(A Market Street retail position) Duties included Resisting the desire to fold my arms. Resisting the desire to yawn. Resisting the desire put either of my hands into either of my pockets. Resisting the desire to scream aloud.As for his Manchester Metropolitan University bachelors honors degree in philosophy, he succinctly sums it up in one word Pointless. His candor apparently boundless, he adds that, as of January 11, 2011, he was/has been free from all venereal disease (which may be a job credential in some movie studios in L.A., alt hough it does raise the question whether his integrity would have remained intact had his lab results been different).So, assuming that the purpose of Le Gauches resume, tongue-in-cheek or not, is not to avoid being hired, a variant of the question posed above can now be fully addressed Why arent there mora resumes like this and why shouldnt there be?The Rare Blunt WorkerAlthough such full professional self-disclosure is not limited to resumes and is more common in unrecorded conversations, it still is rather rare. One such uncommon instance of uncommon candor that I can report occurred a few days ago, here in Qingdao, China, where I am saving thousands of dollars by having my local dentist, from two years back, revisit my mouth, a kind of micro-economy. One of his staff, a very personable young woman stationed at my dental chairs side divulged her secret I want to change jobs. While her timing may have been questionable- given her critical role in assisting with the tricky procedur es and providing comfort, her openness was refreshing. The dentist working on my root canal topped that In the middle of our second complicated 3-hour session in two days, he unnervingly- or is it de-nervingly?volunteered, I dont like doing root canals. I guess what Ive often been told is true I have a way of getting people to open up to me.He and the assistant, like Le Gauche, have made me wonder why there isnt more candor like that and to ask what exactly is wrong with being honest. True, honesty per se isnt necessarily a virtue Among the most honest people in the world are armed robbers who say, Gimme the money or Ill shoot you Completely truthful. Hence, while honesty may earn you and indulgence, it isnt a plenary indulgence, i.e., full absolution. However, the fact that sometimes honesty is not only a social, legal and professional liability, but also frequently a moral one, as in the case of the mugger, seems insufficient to account for its rarity.Before answering that questio n- why such blunt talk is so rare, it will be useful to ask why job applicants or disgruntled employees would attempt it at all. Here are some speculations, some less obvious than othersTo avoid working in general or escape having to take the job under consideration (previously mentioned)To continue to collect or qualify for unemployment benefits (previously mentioned)To paradoxically display admirable employee traits, e.g., fearlessness, integrity or openness, by disclosing bad ones, the admirable ones being expected to more than offset the costs of being honest (You are X, BUT HONEST offsetting You are honest, BUT X)To gain a competitive edge by being distinctive, edgy and hard-to-forgetTo lay down the challenge to match that honesty with comparable recruiter and company honestyTo create the appearance of a personal, intimate bond between applicant and recruiter or employee and client based on mutual honesty and opennessTo find a fun outlet for oral aggressivenessTo carry on a per sonal crusade against hypocrisy, which, at a deeper psychological level, translates into resentment of unfairness, manipulation, deception, conformity and/or powerlessness.Miscalculation of the consequences of being completely frank.So, these are worth keeping in mind when taken aback by the unexpected candor of any job candidate.Why So Few Blunt Workers?It may seem needless to ask why so few applicants and employees are as candid as Le Gauche has been reported to beYou wont get hiredYou may get firedOf course. Right?But then theres Jack Nicholsons classic phrase in A Few Good Men- You cant handle the truth, and its simple follow-up, Why cant we handle the truth- or at least more of it? Thats the question to be extracted from Le Gauches posting and his jiggling of the Web. Were Socrates alive today, he might expand on his deceptively simple question, What is truth?, and add, Why cant recruiters, clients and employers handle it?The Workplace Truth TabooUnderstanding the inconvenient truth is like committing a crime Those who do it dont want to get caught making it clear that they did it- it being the crime committed or the act of understanding the inconvenient truth. When it comes to workplace truth, there are theawkward truths Theres spinach on the applicants teeth.accusatory truths I know you havent read my resume.Incriminating truths I havent read your resume.disqualifying truths I have mastered no software.disillusioning truths Nobody really needs the junk we sell.cynical truths Nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the masses. (P.T. Barnum)insulting truths Your breath will even kill the bacteria that cause it.(Note these are my examples, not Le Gauches.)The Sad TruthThe sad truth of the matter is that every one of these kinds of tabooed truth is bad for business. This is sad, as a commentary about both the frequently delusional, deceptive, timidity-driven preconditions of staying in business and about our general intolerance for truth, irrespective of how heavily the likes of Socrates have promoted appreciation of facts, veracity in reporting them and the willingness to face and report them in the first place. So thats why an awful lot of truth is taboo in the workplace.But, notice this peculiar fact On a re-reading of Le Gauches resume (authentic or not), it can be seen that many of the inconvenient truths he expresses are, in fact, not among the kinds in the foregoing list of tabooed truths- booed, perhaps, but not tabooed. The rest of his curiously candid comments directly or indirectly challenge the list, without adding to it.For example, his characterization of some of the jobs he had as boring would be taboo only for the truly and completely delusional Snow White seven dwarves who cant help chirping we whistle while we work. Virtually everything else he says in his resume also passes the taboo-list test (by not being an instance of the lists categories) or invalidates a given list category as a testI should state I was not bad at them. No problem here, except perhaps for comic humility.Im not about to try and give you the impression that all the jobs Ive had previously were brilliant learning experiences tailor-made to equip me for precisely the job Im applying for. Again, no problem. Obviously, for most of us some past jobs are better matches for prospective jobs than for others. via some kind of weird pride or fear of being disliked I have hitherto been inspired to perform above averagely for every company Ive ever worked for and believe that I can geschirr this same fear in the furthering of your company goals. The knee-jerk response to this one is that it expresses a taboo disillusioning truth, namely, the hard truth that employees sometimes work for reasons other than abiding love of the corporation. Come on- do we really have to pretend that we dont work for other reasons, such as a paycheck, status, pride in our skills (rather than in the company that recruits them) or fear of having nothing to do? Duties included Resisting the desire to fold my arms. Resisting the desire to yawn. Resisting the desire put either of my hands into either of my pockets. Resisting the desire to scream aloud. Although this one seems to clearly disqualify Le Gauche from working in retail, in fact it does not directly express a truth, tabooed or not. Thats because his core or specified duties did not include resisting the desire to yawn or to scream aloud. So, humorous mischaracterization of the jobs duties? Yes. Tabooed truth? No. Hence, no workplace truth taboo has been violated here, even though every joke contains a grain of truth. What disqualifies him is not the truth he expressed, but the truth he tacitly implied, viz., work is often only a means, not an end in itself- which, in virtue of being only tacitly implied, approximately conforms to the workplace requirement of a collusion of silence about tabooed truths. So no truth taboo directly violated here.Maybe (Le) Gauche , But Not Dangerously TruthfulAccordingly, most, if not all of the attention his resume has attracted based on his alleged honesty and candor, has been misdirected as a result of a misconception about what it says. His comments may be too informal, too humble, too humorous, too insightful or too off-target (like the STD report or mention of people liking his ginger hair). But how many among them really are, with respect to a prospective employer or recruiter, too awkward, accusatory, incriminating, disqualifying, disillusioning, cynical or insulting for him to get the job done and done decently?If you insist on being conventional or hard-core about job applicant candor and on toeing the conservative workplace truth line, you could still rationalize hiring the playfully candid Le Gauche in at least two ways first, to hire him despite his resume, rather than because of it, on the grounds that he is willing to take on the challenge of a job compounded by the severe challenges posed by his attitudes, as a kind of cognitive or emotional disability, expressed in his resume. Thats spunky- for both of you.Or you could do the next best thing.Hire him as a comic.Master the art of closing deals and making placements. Take our Recruiter Certification Program today. Were SHRM certified. Learn at your own pace during this 12-week program. Access over 20 courses. Great for those who want to break into recruiting, or recruiters who want to further their career.