Good question. Not as many jobs as there used to be (and seems like less each week), but there are jobs. This blog and today’s theme is about how to find a job. Coincidentally, Fortune Magazine’s cover story this issue is “How to get a job”. So let’s get started.

• How to get a job – The theme of this story is very similar to what I’ve been saying for months (8 months to be exact). Yes, the current unemployment rate is 8.6% and yes, last week another 600,000+ people joined the unemployed, but there are tens of thousands of jobs out there. The second half of the tag line of the article is “Millions of people were hired last month!”. The article is worth a read for several reasons, not the least of which there are plenty of good tips (and they use a headline that is very similar to one I used in an earlier blog “Hey Brother, Can Your Spare a Job?“.
• Successful Job Searching – This article, by About.com, provides a step-by-step guide to finding a job. Categories include Write a Resume, Complete a Job Application, Find Job Listings plus a long list of other resources. The right side of this article has a link to several videos – “10 thinks to do after a layoff” and “How to prepare for a job interview”.
• How to find a job during a recession – CNN weighs in with an article on how to find a job. Another step-by-step article with topics such as trying freelance work, freshen your skills, networking, polish your brand (like my “market yourself”). The middle of the article has additional links to job related articles.
• HOW TO FIND A JOB? – Not sure why there is a question mark at the end of this page’s name, but don’t be fooled by the first page. There are a number of links on this site to resources such as job search, job applications, resumes, cover letters and more. Each link leads to a robust page with information on the topic. At the bottom of the page are several other links to Work Menu (several resources here), Training, Where (like, where to find a job) and Who can help (many more resources).
• Liven Up Your Job Hunt – Tips for When Things Look Bleak – This article, from Keppie Careers, provides a number of great tips for your job search. The site is dedicated to careers and job search and is jam packed with links. Click on any of the categories (right side of page) to find context related articles. Popular posts are on the right as well, with a number of excellent links to other websites in the blogroll.
• How to Get Into Medical Sales – This dynamic resource from Peggy McKee, the Medical Sales Recruiter, provides templates for the critical documents needed in your pursuit of a job in the medical sales arena. Peggy also provides more than one hour of audio coaching that guides you through every step of document preparation and presentation. It has tons of insider tips that can help you transition into the recession-proof niche of medical sales, even if you have no experience in the medical arena. There are a couple of other great products that she provides, check them out at the 30/60/90 day sales plan website.

Good luck in your search.

Article courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates searching for entry level jobs and other career opportunities.

Article courtesy of  Carl Chapman - Founder CEC Search, LLC
    © Copyright 2009 CEC Search, LLC | All rights reserved

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So exactly how does Fortune determine the Best Companies list? They conducted a survey with over 81,000 employees from 353 companies. To learn more, click “How we pick the 100 Best”. What is even more interesting about the list is the highest pay. Bingham McCutchen takes the prize with an average annual pay of $256,000 (yes, this is an average!).

• Ernst & Young – The accounting, audit and advisory services Firm is ranked 51 this year (up from 57). E&Y has over 130,000 employees globally with 24,000 in the US. They hired 119 people last year. Their main career page gives an overview of the company followed by a drop-down box so that you can select you location. Clicking on the US, the domestic link lists all of the awards they’ve received as an employer very impressive) and then has a section for students or experience hires. To the right of the page there is a link for job search. Using their experienced hire generic search returned 411 job opportunities in the US.
• Stew Leonard’s – Ranked 53 (we skipped 52 as the company was previously covered), this company owns supermarkets. 2,200 employees and 24 hires last year, their main career page is very interesting. It almost looks like a family web page with pictures of employees across different events. Listed on the left-hand side of the page is information on the company (with various categories), a Current Openings link as well as a Apply Now link. Current Openings (well you can figure this out) is of course current openings. The Apply Now page allows you to register so that they have your information should a job opening that matches your experience become available.
• Erickson Retirement Communities – Ranked 54 this year (way up from 93), Erickson has over 10,000 employees and hired 971 people last year. Their main careers page has tabs to the left for Search Jobs, Benefits, Events and more. In the center of the page they have six categories to select from for a targeted search. You can also click on “See Our Full List of Positions Available” to cut to the chase. Clicking on this (without criteria) returned the maximum which is 100 jobs. Not sure how many more exist beyond that, but you can find out by conducting a more targeted search.
• Salesforce.com – Ranked 55, this company is the 2nd fastest growing tech company. With almost 3,000 employees, they hired 381 people last year. The main careers page has a lot of good information on the company. They have a dedicated link for University recruiting and they show some of the open positions on this page as well as links to specific functional areas. Click on “Careers current openings” on the right hand side of the page to see job opportunities. There is not an actual count of open positions on their site, but a quick guess (looking at the open positions) there must be close to 100 opportunities.
• Big pay: Annual pay – So which of these companies (on the Best Companies list) are the highest paying? Check out the link. Fortune has sorted the list from highest paying to lowest in this group along with the position that demands (or gets for the lowest) that salary. The lowest paid job on the list is Service Manager at $44k per year to the highest (Associate) at $256k.

Good luck in your search.

Article courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates searching for entry level jobs and other career opportunities.

Article courtesy of  Carl Chapman - Founder CEC Search, LLC
    © Copyright 2009 CEC Search, LLC | All rights reserved

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Staffing agencies have been aligning employers with talented job seekers for years. These agencies are always there to help ease the stress of job hunting whether you are a current student, a recent graduate, or between jobs. In addition, temp work offers many advantages over permanent/direct-hire work. The flexibility, variety, and independence of temporary work makes it a great choice for the job-seeker and seasoned professional.

The flexibility of temp work is an obvious benefit to those candidates or employees seeking an environment with little accountability, stress, and commitment. Short term and varied assignments help workers to meet their financial needs without worrying about long term job concerns or plans. Temp assignments can last anywhere from one day to several months allowing job seekers to find the right amount of work that best suits their work/life needs.

Temp work is not limited to short assignments, however, and can lead to deeper and more involved positions within the hiring organization. This variety of assignments means employees can “take a peek” inside a company to see if they would like to pursue a permanent position there in the future. The job seeker has little to worry about regarding benefits, as most agencies provide quality, comparable health coverage to their temporary employees.

Developing an excellent employee profile, with multiple agencies, can almost guarantee a steady paycheck if that is what the job seeker looks for. Temporary employees often think of themselves as “independent contractors” in control of their own destiny. Staffing Managers and Recruiters are rewarded by helping you find a job. So knowing that you have someone looking out for new opportunities for you, on a full-time basis, can help ease the stress of job hunting.

Staffing agencies provide temporary work, temporary-to-hire work (where the employee works for a pre-determined amount of time, with the possibility of being hired permanently by the client company), or direct hire opportunities (where the employee is immediately hired permanently by the client company). Registering with an agency can be an excellent resource for people looking for work, no matter what their desired situation.

Article courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates searching for entry level jobs and other career opportunities.

Article courtesy of  Carl Chapman - Founder CEC Search, LLC
    © Copyright 2009 CEC Search, LLC | All rights reserved

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20 years experience

Seasoned, mature rep ready for a new challenge.

Do these resume summary lines sound familiar?

You can’t turn on the television or radio without hearing how many people are unemployed or how difficult the job market is today. What you don’t hear too often is that some of the most vocal unsuccessful job seekers shouldn’t be very surprised that they aren’t being successful.

What? How could I possibly say that?

Don’t I have any empathy?

Let’s not even talk about the many interview horror stories you hear (flip flops at interviews, tardiness, texting while interviewing, general unpreparedness, etc.). Even if a job seeker manages to avoid major interview mistakes like that, the job search can still be a minefield. I say that based on actual empirical data–facts. I know facts aren’t too popular these days when debating points of view…it’s easier to talk about the emotional side of the equation and ignore the facts, or “givens.”

What are the givens in this equation?

• The job market is very competitive.
• The employers have more candidates to look at, so the process takes longer as they look for their ideal candidate.
• Experience isn’t always seen as a plus–with experience comes higher salaries and expectations. And, there can be the perception among employers that you can’t teach “experienced dogs new tricks.”
• Thousands of Pharma jobs have evaporated. Many are looking to move into other areas of medical sales.
• You have hundreds (maybe thousands) of highly educated financial people with no clinical/research industry experience who are pursuing new careers because of the meltdown in their world.
• Does that mean your career is over if you have more than 10 years experience?

If you haven’t dealt with “The White Stuff”, maybe so. If you deal with it, you will be in a better position than your peers.

So you say, “What’s the White Stuff?”

The white stuff is the white light and the white elephant.

First the white light:

As a manager, I was often in the position of deciding who would stay and who would go (or be “decoupled” as I heard for the first time last week) as we right-sized, refocused or adjusted to new management. I took the responsibility very seriously because I knew the actions I was taking as part of the management team would affect people’s lives. The way I was able to justify what I was doing was to tell myself that everyone has to be responsible for their actions and most likely; this person’s poor performance made them expendable. That theory worked great for me until I was “decoupled” (fired) with no notice, no performance plan, no clue. I can’t say I wasn’t cognizant of my circumstances. I knew about the Japanese model– executives down-sizing, taking less to make room for the “up and comers” that represent the future of the organization. So, I tried not to get performance review increases, took on more responsibility, anything that I thought would help me provide more value to organization.

The point being, I knew about the White Light.

A neighbor of mine recently lost his job after working for his firm for more than 10 years. As I was trying to console him he made a statement that made the “White Light” topic strike home. He said, “I really shouldn’t be surprised, they have been trying to get rid of me for a few years”.

(It took every bit of self control I could muster to not scream, “Are you kidding me?? You knew your job was at risk and you haven’t even looked for another?”)

This guy obviously hadn’t really seen the White Light. He thought he knew all about it, but, not so much. If he had seen the White Light while he was employed, it might have made him think about things differently, as in:

• I am 56 years experienced.
• I am in an executive position and lived ex-US for years.
• My total comp is over $200,000.
• I only have a 2 year degree.
• I am in the cyclical construction industry.
• If I lose this job, I might have a hard time replacing it. If I don’t replace my current job, my lifestyle will be really negatively affected.
• I should always be looking to add more value to the organization, because I can be replaced cheaper with someone who can still contribute 10 or 20 years to the organization. Be cognizant of the Japanese model.
• The White Light is job mortality.

If you have seen the White Light, you know that no one is safe. Any job can be eliminated at any time. Not just “the little people” get affected. You serve at the whim of your master. Do what you can to make your master like and need you. Any new challenge, bad assignment or bummer deal at your current job will be less of a bummer than being unemployed. Not even in the same league….trust me.

So what about the White Elephant?

The white elephant is that thing in the room or on the phone, which is there, present. You can try to pretend it isn’t, but it is. The White Elephant could be:

• A 2-year gap in your employment.
• Much more experience than the job requires.
• Unrelated experience.
• Getting fired.
• Job instability as a result of mergers, buyouts, etc.
• A poor reference.
• Having a DUI on your driving record.
• Missing last year’s sales goal.

The list goes on an on….

Have an answer. Address the “White Stuff” up front or you will not make it to the next step.

More issues and specific strategies in my next rambling post.

Article courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates searching for entry level jobs and other career opportunities.

Article courtesy of  Carl Chapman - Founder CEC Search, LLC
    © Copyright 2009 CEC Search, LLC | All rights reserved

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When you became a manager, there’s a good chance that you didn’t realize that providing employee training would become a major portion of your job. However, it’s a fact that teaching is an essential function of every managerial job. When you’re in charge of managing and motivating other workers – no matter how small or large your team may be – training is something that you’re going to have to do on a regular basis.

Providing training to employees is a very specific skill, and it’s one that many managers don’t realize they need to have. Sharing information and teaching people how to perform tasks are two very different things. When you are providing training to team members, you have to focus on conveying information to them in a manner that is motivating and that will enable them to truly understand what you are saying so they will be able to transfer that knowledge to on-the-job performance.

3 Keys to Effective Employee Training

1. Recognize Your Training Responsibilities
Too many mangers think that employee training is “someone else’s job”. Even if your company has someone in charge of training, those who hold supervisory roles bear responsibility when it comes to employee training and development. If you want to lead a peak performing team, you must be prepared to coach and train your team members to excel.

Managers at every organizational level are responsible for making sure that the employees on their teams have the skills needed to perform the work required. Accomplishing this managerial duty involves providing effective training to team members about company polices and procedures and industry standards, as well as recognizing the need for skill-based training and making sure that it is available to employees who need it.

2. Engage in Ongoing Employee Skill Development
Managerial training responsibilities extend far beyond simply going over work procedures and sending employees to classes when they need to master a new skill. Effective workforce training is an ongoing process that requires supervisors to engage in ongoing skill development with their employees. Managers must engage in informal training needs assessment on an ongoing basis, paying attention to employees’ strengths and weaknesses and identifying gaps that can be overcome through training opportunities.

Too often, supervisors feel that once information has been covered with employees, then training has occurred. However, the fact that an employee sits through an orientation or training session doesn’t really mean that he or she has sufficiently mastered the knowledge or skills he or she needs. Supervisors must take proactive steps to allow employees to demonstrate mastery of training objectives, to offer feedback, coaching, and mentoring and to make additional skill development activities available as needed.

3. Convey “What’s in It” for the Trainees
In order for employee training to be successful, trainees must know up front how any educational activity they are asked to participate in is relevant to them. When a training program is announced, be sure to specify what employees are likely to get from participating and reinforce that message with consistency throughout the training. Skilled trainers know that helping employees see “what is in it for them” is essential to success.

Avoid conveying the idea that employees must pay attention to the training because it’s important to the company or the supervisor. Employees who participate in training because they have to do so aren’t likely to retain or transfer what is covered. Those who see how mastering new skills can benefit them in their jobs are much more likely to be engaged in the learning process and actually apply what they learn on the job.

Employee Training is Part of Your Job
These basic skills can help supervisors begin to feel comfortable fulfilling the training role of their jobs, along with all of the other roles that managers must play on a daily basis. The next step will be to start developing the skills necessary to effectively develop and deliver employee training in all types of settings, ranging from one-on-one instruction to department or company wide meetings and classes.

About the Author
Mary Gormandy White, M.A., SPHR is the Training Coordinator for Mobile Technical Institute & MTI Business Solutions (http://www.mobiletechwebsite.com), where she specializes in human resources, management, and marketing training, including teaching Train-the-Trainer seminars. She teaches open enrollment classes for MTI, provides on-site corporate training, and frequently speaks at conferences and association meetings. MTI also provides a variety of consulting services, including IT Training, certification testing, HR consulting, custom database development and website solutions.

Article courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates searching for entry level jobs and other career opportunities.

Article courtesy of  Carl Chapman - Founder CEC Search, LLC
    © Copyright 2009 CEC Search, LLC | All rights reserved

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When times are good, it is easier for people to pursue work that they will love. This is simply because their basic needs are being met and hence they look to satisfy higher level needs. However, during bad times, when people are losing their jobs and there are fewer jobs available, people are less concerned with finding their ideal job.

This is why one important component of career discovery is being realistic. The process/outcome must be practical and take into account business reality and your personal constraints (financial, family, time, and so on). It is also a good idea to try to aim for a mix of jobs in terms of ease of attainment:

Reach - jobs which will not be very easy to get, based on your current education and experience. You might need to get additional training/education to attain these

Fit - jobs which are a good match, based on your education and experience. You will be very competitive for these roles

Safe - jobs for which you are slightly overqualified. The hiring manager would find it hard not to hire you for the position

Some scenarios to consider:

a) If the ideal jobs you identify during career discovery are in areas where you already have relevant work experience, education, training, skills and so on; then the discovery process will help you showcase and market yourself very effectively during the job search

b) In case your ideal jobs require you to obtain new education/training/skills, then focus your efforts on keeping your current job, or finding jobs (fit/safe category) that match your existing experience. The output from a career discovery exercise, will help you conduct a better job search here also. Use some of your spare time to obtain necessary education/training/skills, so that when the market turns you are prepared to get your ideal job right away.

c) You might lie somewhere in between the above extremes i.e. your ideal jobs are a mix of (a) and (b). You could then use a mix of the two approaches, depending on your personal circumstances

Article courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates searching for entry level jobs and other career opportunities.

Article courtesy of  Carl Chapman - Founder CEC Search, LLC
    © Copyright 2009 CEC Search, LLC | All rights reserved

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Which Certification is Right for Me?
When hiring entry-level IT workers, employers tend to look for individuals with either CompTIA A+ or Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) credentials. Many hiring managers feel that these types of certifications provide important third party validation that candidates with little or no work experience actually have the skills they need to perform the essential functions of the jobs for which they are applying.

There is no hard and fast rule about which type of certification is best for every person seeking an entry level IT job. Different types of certifications provide validations for different skills, so preferences may vary from one employer and type of job to another. It’s a good idea to contact human resources representatives from companies that you are interested in working for to inquire about their certification preferences for entry-level IT workers.

The Path to Certification
The reason that employers value professional certifications is that these credentials are believed to be an accurate indicator of skills. Before you concern yourself with passing a certification exam, the first thing you need to do is focus on getting the skills necessary to perform entry-level work. It’s a good idea to select a training program or training materials that follow a certification track. That way, you’ll be getting the skills you need and preparing for your certification exam at the same time.

Sitting for Your Certification Exam
When you have finished your training, it’s time to register for your certification exam. Depending on the exam that you plan to take, you’ll need to locate a PearsonVUE or Prometric testing center in your area. When you register for your exam, you’ll be able to select a date and time that works well with your schedule. Be sure to show up a few minutes early so you’ll have plenty of time to check in and get settled before you start testing.

About the Author

Randall Olson is the Director of Information Technology for Mobile Technical Institute & MTI Business Solutions. He oversees the firm’s high stakes certification testing center, conducts computer application training, and manages MTI’s online learning programs. MTI is a full service training and consulting firm, providing open enrollment and on-site employee development training, database development, and website solutions. For free career and business development tips and advice, see http://www.DailyCareerConnection.com and http://www.DailyBizSolutions.com.

Article courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates searching for entry level jobs and other career opportunities.

Article courtesy of  Carl Chapman - Founder CEC Search, LLC
    © Copyright 2009 CEC Search, LLC | All rights reserved

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What College Students Should Do For Their Job Search Over Spring Break
Seniors who have a job offer lined up, use the break to thank everyone who helped you. If your prospective employer gave you a book list or other tips on how to prepare, start tackling that.
Seniors who don’t yet have an offer, you still have three months before graduation, plenty of time to execute a proactive search. Spend the break identifying your preferred industries, companies, and functional areas so you can hit the ground running when you’re back at school.
Juniors, you still have three months to land a summer internship, and this is a critical internship. Your competitiveness in senior year recruiting is very dependent on how strong this junior summer internship is. So take the same care of seniors looking for full-time. Spend the break identifying your target areas and be prepared to launch an aggressive search when you get back to school.
Freshman and sophomores, many (but definitely not all) internships are exclusive to juniors. You will need to be more creative and find companies that are open to underclassmen or who might have less ability to attract the juniors (perhaps smaller companies as opposed to brand names). If you intend on doing your internship at home rather than at school, the break is a perfect time to scout out companies that may have summer needs. You can be the first to inquire. If you will work where you go to school, then at least identify these companies by name so you can start calling on them after break.
All class levels should also plan for logistics such as where they will live and what financial resources their parents will provide. For interns whose home geography is dramatically different from their school geography, this could mean a dramatic difference in the choices available. If the support isn’t what you planned, you can start planning for alternatives. For seniors, you can start budgeting and may decide to save your holiday cash gifts, depending on prospects for after you graduate.

Article courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates searching for entry level jobs and other career opportunities.

Article courtesy of  Carl Chapman - Founder CEC Search, LLC
    © Copyright 2009 CEC Search, LLC | All rights reserved

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So here’s a few thoughts about job search and jury duty. Are they comparable?

Ask anyone who’s been called for jury duty and you’ll get one of two reactions. First are the folks who are proud and honored to have a way to serve their country (2% of respondents). Second are people who grumble loudly to everyone they know that the system is painful, inefficient, and not terribly empathetic to the participant (98% of respondents).

Hmmm…Sounds a bit like job search on some days, right? So, how else are the two similar? And, importantly, how do we use this analogy to suggest a few new thoughts to help you succeed in finding a new job?

Here are some of the more hard to swallow aspects of jury duty (you can also comment below and add your own):

1. Painful. I think you’ll agree that jury duty often comes at the wrong time and if your company is not jury duty friendly, you can be hurt financially. The pain also comes in the form of boredom as you wait for your number to be called. Ever sat there all day?

2. Inefficient. How do you plan your week knowing that you don’t what your week looks like? The basic system that feeds juries puts the onus on you with no real guarantees that you can be somewhere else (like in an important work meeting). You might get the call that dictates your next few days or weeks only hours before the actual jury commitment begins.

3. No empathy. If you’ve ever told a sad story to the judge and watched his/her reaction, you know what I mean. Very few people get out of jury duty.

So, now that you know all of this, job search can’t be all that bad, right? Well, you and I both know that job search can be very tough – especially during these economic times.

- The financial pain can be significant for those who are not getting much severance and whose salary represents the bulk of their family’s income. Make sure you build a financial plan and budget conservatively for your transition period.

- If you are not careful, inefficiency is a real risk. A lot of the most instantly gratifying tasks (such as scanning for jobs on the internet) can be the least effective. So, make sure you have a strategy and build a discipline into your effort.

- And, no, there isn’t a lot of empathy out there. Lay-offs are not personal attacks but they can feel awfully abrupt and cold. The reality is that HR folks have to be objective, even though they likely are hurting deep down. So, do your best to transition your mind as quickly as you can. The longer you take to heal, holding onto your anger or frustration, the longer it will take for you to be in the right mind set to interview with a cool, confident head.

So, what are your secrets to succeeding in a tough environment?

Article courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates searching for entry level jobs and other career opportunities.

Article courtesy of  Carl Chapman - Founder CEC Search, LLC
    © Copyright 2009 CEC Search, LLC | All rights reserved

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Hiring and training a new employee represents a great expense for an employer. Yet each new hire represents a risk. The hiring process isn’t an exact science. A candidate that looks good on paper won’t necessarily fit into the current company culture. A job candidate that is charming and likable may not have the skills and experience to back up his or her claims. So, how can employers best gauge what type of employee you will be?

Many employers have turned to the use of behavioral interview questions to help them determine the viability of a potential employee. Rather than basing such an important decision on questions about what you would do, most employers prefer to know what you have done in similar situations in the past. This information is acquired through a series of behavioral interview questions. Behavioral interviewing is based on the premise that your past performance and behavior is a good indication of how you will perform and behave in the future.

Makes sense, right? We do the same thing in our daily lives. If we learn that a restaurant has a history of failing health inspections, we stop eating there. If we learn that a particular automobile has a history of poor performance or mechanical failure, we wisely opt for another make or model.

This is one of the reasons it is so important to build a reliable job history. It is about far more than the amount of time that we spend in a position. What kind of work reputation have we been building in our career? What job experience do we have under our belts? And what have we learned from the mistakes that we’ve made along the way?

By taking the time to draft Career Success Stories, we are better prepared to deal with tough questions that will be posed during the interview process. The Career Success Story has three basic parts:

Challenge – Describe the situation you faced.

Action – What steps did you take to solve the problem or get results?

Result – What was the end situation? (Use quantifiable figures when appropriate)

This is an example of a Career Success Story with quantifiable results:

Challenge – A large percentage of job candidates went through our recruitment process only to turn down the job offer due to pay or potential work schedules.

Action – I adapted the suggested telephone screening dialogue to more fully educate job candidates about pay and work schedules.

Result – The number of job offers that resulted in hiring increased by 35%. My fellow recruiters followed suit with similar results.

Now that you understand the components of the Career Success Story it is time to begin building yours. Create separate Career Success Stories for each skill or competency. For instance, if a job ad stresses that Company X is looking for a “Team player with phenomenal customer service skills and a track record of success in sales.” At the very least you should go prepared with Career Success Stories that demonstrate your past successes in teamwork, customer service, and sales.

Prepare five to seven Career Success Stories. Have them well in mind before you begin drafting your resume or preparing for an interview. Your ability to confidently demonstrate your past career success is an important key to a successful job search.

Need help creating effective Career Success Stories? Download a copy of The Savvy Jobseeker’s Guide & Workbook to get job search tips and strategies ‘from the other side’ of the recruiting desk.

Article courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates searching for entry level jobs and other career opportunities.

Article courtesy of  Carl Chapman - Founder CEC Search, LLC
    © Copyright 2009 CEC Search, LLC | All rights reserved

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