Uncommon Tips for Job Seekers
Lately, I’ve been getting more phone calls and e-mails from people looking for the next career opportunity, which is not surprising given the current economic climate. A lot of books have been written about the many facets of looking for a job, and certainly there are plenty of resources on the Internet. So I thought I’d put down a few of my pet peeves and pitfalls that are not always obvious but that might make a difference.
An intelligent file name for your resume: After spending hours consulting experts, writing, reviewing and editing a resume, many people don’t give much thought to how they name it. Names like resume.doc, dave.doc or LSJ.doc have absolutely no meaning to a total stranger or a relatively new acquaintance who may be a decision maker for a dream job. A self-documenting file name, such as MarySmith.doc, would help people on the recruiting team to file a resume and, more important, find one that had been filed temporarily to read later or for future reference.
Don’t let formatting mess you up: Too many times, I have received resumes that look like something unexpected happened along the way in translating from Windows to Mac or vice versa. I appreciate it when people send resumes in a universal format such as PDF. Not only does this save me from any potential problem with reading the resume, it also gives me a favorable impression of someone who is thoughtful about his/her audience.
Handle your network with care: Networking is the best way to find positions, especially those plum ones that are filled quickly, sometimes before they are even posted. Always but always report back to the person who gave you the job lead—how you fared, whether or not it turned out to be a good fit, etc. Following up on a lead when a personal introduction has been extended is simple but mandatory professional courtesy, even if you are no longer interested in the position for whatever reason. I had a colleague who “cried wolf” periodically about needing to find a new job, and eventually I learned to ignore his requests for help. By the same token, don’t be presumptuous. A referral is not necessarily a commitment to help you navigate through the whole process, all the way to negotiating compensation.
Be your own best marketer: Marketers go to great lengths to learn about their target audience (in this case the potential employer, both at a company/organization level and at the individual levels of the search committee and hiring manager), in order to understand the audience’s wants and needs, pain points and company culture. Developing the value proposition (what you can bring to your future employer), positioning against competition, your key messages—does all this sound familiar?
Do you have a tip or two to share?