8 Keys to Communicating Effectively During the Job Search

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <a href="http://www.usnews.com/dims4/USNEWS/138e1b5/2147483647/crop/358x322%2B77%2B4/resize/300x270/quality/85/?url=%2Fcmsmedia%2Ffb%2F21%2F0b42958c4a769433f052d911e63c%2Fresizes%2F500%2F140401-smilingtalking-stock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="The Secret to Hiring Really Good Telecommuters" border="0" src="http://www.usnews.com/dims4/USNEWS/138e1b5/2147483647/crop/358x322%2B77%2B4/resize/300x270/quality/85/?url=%2Fcmsmedia%2Ffb%2F21%2F0b42958c4a769433f052d911e63c%2Fresizes%2F500%2F140401-smilingtalking-stock.jpg" /></a>Whatever your field or experience level might be, your ability to get hired and then to succeed is dependent on excellent communications skills. It’s rare to see an advertisement for a job that doesn’t include this among the various other requirements. <br /> However difficult it may be to evaluate any of your other skills, employers can easily tell how well you communicate by the way you write your cover letter and résumé, and how you converse during phone or in-person interviews. Spelling or grammatical errors are often “the kiss of death” for otherwise well-qualified candidates. But the requirement for strong communications skills goes well beyond this minimal standard.<br /> Communications can take many different forms: oral, written and nonverbal. You convey facts, concepts, impressions and ideas. Is your mind cluttered or well ordered? Does your body language convey interest or boredom, self-confidence or anxiety? What does the way you dress and groom yourself say about how you see yourself? Employers read much into all these nonverbal cues you give off, knowingly or not.<br /> Hiring authorities key in on these critical areas:<br /> <b>1. </b><b>Well-ordered reasoning.</b> Does the prose of your cover letter read well? When you answer questions in an interview, do you meander or get to the point directly? Do you present facts in a coherent way that is easy to follow?<br /> <b>2. </b><b>Strong action verbs and vocabulary usage</b>. Does your résumé read like a job description, with statements beginning with: “Responsible for …” or do you actually say what you did? Effective communicators begin every bullet point with strong verbs like: built, managed, conveyed, analyzed, delivered, produced, maximized/minimized, etc. Do you use the same words or phrases repeatedly, or do you find new ways to communicate what you're trying to get across?<br /> <b>3. </b><b>Wasting time. </b>One way to waste yours and other people’s time is to consume it by writing and saying the obvious. Don’t bother saying what doesn’t need to be said. Don’t clutter your written documents or speech with things that everyone already knows and which don’t add something to an understanding of your qualifications. <br /> Examples: Objective statements or offers to provide references. If an employer is reading your résumé, he or she already understands that your objective it acquiring the job. Likewise, it is obvious that if an employer wants your references, you will provide them when requested. Getting rid of unnecessary words leaves more space on a résumé and time in an interview to convey the things about yourself that will do the most to advance your cause.<br /> <b>4. </b><b>Interest in the position and company</b>. You can demonstrate this by writing in your cover letter that you have been following the company on LinkedIn, or set up a Google Alert to get all the latest news about it. Then, you can remark on something you’ve learned about the company's work or mission that appeals to you. When you do your homework about the company before your interview and show what you’ve learned by the questions you ask, you communicate much about yourself and the way you go about things.<br /> <b>5. </b><b>Passion. </b>Of course you have to be qualified in terms of education, experience, degrees and licensing. But, chances are that many of your competitors will share much of these in common. More than simply being able to do the job, employers are eager to find candidates who show a passion for the work by their tone of voice and general attitude. When you show that you relish the challenges of a particular job opportunity, you can set yourself apart from and above your competition.<br /> <b>6. </b><b>Pride in results.</b> Your résumé bullet points should provide examples of the challenges you faced and the results of your actions. And when you speak of these things in your interview and employers see that your work is meaningful to you and that you relish getting strong and positive results, they will gravitate toward you. From an employer’s standpoint, a productive worker is important, but one who is engaged and prideful of his or her contributions is invaluable.<br /> <b>7. </b><b>Follow up. </b>Your actions say much about you and your work style. If, for example, you state in your cover letter that you will call to make contact on a given date, and you fail to do so, you have already proven your unreliability. The same is true if you are asked to provide information of any kind and you tarry or fail to do so. Instead, take the initiative to promptly respond to a phone or in-person interview with a thank-you note, provide references or other documentation. Thereby you demonstrate respect and thoughtfulness, both of which are noted and valued. <br /> <b>8. </b><b>Listen carefully. </b>At the heart of all effective communication is actively listening to your audience to understand what they want and need to hear. Only this way can you be certain to articulate the right content in an appropriate fashion. <br /> That can mean taking the time to deconstruct a job advertisement to see what the job is really all about before composing your cover letter. <br /> Or, it can mean pausing for a second before responding to an interview question to make sure that the information you are about to provide is on point to the query that has been posed.<br /> It takes much more than claiming to be an effective communicator to convince an employer that you are one.<br /> You will demonstrate that you're an effective communicator when you carefully assess your situation, logically think out what you want to say and then do so clearly and succinctly. You will make the best possible case for yourself, and thereby convince an employer that you represent the ideal answer to their needs.<br /> Happy hunting!<br /> <b>Arnie Fertig, MPA</b>, is passionate about helping his Jobhuntercoach clients advance their careers by transforming frantic “I’ll apply to anything” searches into focused hunts for “great fit” opportunities. He brings to each client the extensive knowledge he gained when working in HR staffing and managing his boutique recruiting firm.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2014/06/24/8-keys-to-communicating-effectively-during-the-job-search" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">View the original article here</a></div>

8 Keys to Communicating Effectively During the Job Search

Whatever your field or experience level might be, your ability to get hired and then to succeed is dependent on excellent communications sk...

Read more »

5 Networking Tips for New Grads

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <header style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17.234001159668px;"><h1 class="h-biggest" style="font-size: 35px; line-height: 1.2; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px;"> 5 Networking Tips for New Grads</h1> <h2 class="h-big h-slacker h-light h-normal" style="color: #999999; font-size: 21px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.2; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px;"> Your crash course in standing out from the crowd and making meaningful connections.</h2> <img alt="Businesswomen shaking hands during meeting or interview in restaurant" class="img-responsive block-generous" data-size="rectangle652" height="435" src="http://www.usnews.com/dims4/USNEWS/b8921a6/2147483647/resize/652x%3E/quality/85/?url=%2Fcmsmedia%2F08%2Fb2%2F25b83e7847dd9a48f874c4f7ffc6%2F140219-jobinterviewshakehands-stock.jpg" style="border: 0px; display: block; height: auto; margin-bottom: 25px; width: 652px;" title="(iStockPhoto)" width="652" /><div class="t t-dim" style="color: #666666; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 25px; margin-top: -20px; padding: 0px;"> Drop the script. When networking, be spontaneous and genuine to show off the real you.</div> <div class="t t-dim" style="color: #666666; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 25px; margin-top: -20px; padding: 0px;"> <span style="color: #222222; line-height: 1.5;"><br /></span></div> <div class="t t-dim" style="color: #666666; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 25px; margin-top: -20px; padding: 0px;"> <span style="color: #222222; line-height: 1.5;">Networking: Some people love it, and others others hate it. There's no denying that it's an essential part of business and socialization. This is how meaningful relationships are formed with other people, whether they’re your clients, business partners, colleagues or even supervisors.</span></div> </header><div class="block skin-editable clearfix" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px;"> <div style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 25px; padding: 0px;"> Interns who have transitioned into full-time positions and those who've taken on new roles often find themselves thrust into the <a class="" href="http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2014/06/10/networking-101-for-new-grads" style="color: #005ea6; text-decoration: none;">world of networking</a> without having a real skill set to make the introductions and develop connections.</div> <div style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 25px; padding: 0px;"> <b>College gave you a taste</b></div> <div style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 25px; padding: 0px;"> From forums to mixers to organization-based events, many college graduates have had opportunities to fine-tune their networking skills. But while much of college networking is with fellow students or recent graduates, the mix of people in work settings will be much more diverse.</div> <div class="ndn_embed ndn_embedContainer ndn-widget-embed-2 ndn_embedding ndn-widget-embed-5" data-config-distributor-id="90080" data-config-site-section="ndn2_usnews" id="ndn-video-player-2" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </div> <div style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 25px; padding: 0px;"> There's a right way to network. When connections are made at events, people want to feel like they're meeting others worth getting to know, who listen and who would be good fits for their businesses. Strong networking skills position someone as a good conversationalist, as opposed to someone who uses, manipulates or even attempts to “make a sale” at networking events.</div> <div style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 25px; padding: 0px;"> <b>Stand out by standing up</b></div> <div style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 25px; padding: 0px;"> Networking events are not about the food. It's networking neophytes who can often be found with the hors d'oeuvres or drinks, quickly putting on that freshman 15. (In college, this was the 15 pounds gained by being a new student. To those new to a position or the world of networking, it’s the 15 pounds gained from all the gripping, grinning and grazing done at <a class="" href="http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2014/09/09/7-tips-for-networking-success" style="color: #005ea6; text-decoration: none;" title="Link: http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2014/09/09/7-tips-for-networking-success">networking events</a>.)</div> <div style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 25px; padding: 0px;"> Moving around, meeting people and listening to and joining in on conversations is the order of business at a networking event. The focus is not the food or drink. If it is, then the event is not effective and has merely become an expensive place to snack.</div> <div style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 25px; padding: 0px;"> In being more mobile, also make a decision on whether to have a drink<i> or</i> snack. Having both makes it too difficult to work the room and meet others. To be most effective, keep your right hand free to shake hands and accept business cards. Keeping a phone on hand can also prove challenging. It's best to keep your phone close in your pocket if mixing and mingling. Or consider keeping the phone in a small purse held close enough to the body that you're able to feel it vibrate or access it to make an introduction or share information.</div> <div style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 25px; padding: 0px;"> <b>Tip to be effective instead of efficient</b></div> <div style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 25px; padding: 0px;"> <a class="" href="http://money.usnews.com/money/careers/articles/2012/08/08/12-things-killer-employees-do-before-noon" style="color: #005ea6; text-decoration: none;">Be efficient</a> with things and effective with people. Maya Angelou once shared that people remember how you make them feel. The interaction with others becomes the basis for your relationship. Here are some tips to help you effectively network and connect with other people:</div> <div style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 25px; padding: 0px;"> <b>1. Be yourself. </b> Don’t attempt to be someone you’re not. People are a lot smarter these days, and no one likes talking to someone who appears fake. In networking situations, remember that people typically enjoy being informal and relaxed. It’s not necessary to have a script ready whenever people talk to you. What’s better is to be spontaneous and genuine.</div> <div style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 25px; padding: 0px;"> Most people don’t really do business with just anybody – they only do so with people they really know and genuinely like. So be authentic, and show off who you really are. You may be surprised that you are able to connect in a more meaningful way with people.</div> <div style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 25px; padding: 0px;"> <b>2. Be friendly and approachable.</b> The key to networking effectively is to be friendly. While you don't have to be the life of the party, it's important  to look approachable, introduce yourself to people and<a class="" href="http://money.usnews.com/money/careers/articles/2014/08/19/7-ways-to-be-a-better-listener-while-interviewing" style="color: #005ea6; text-decoration: none;">listen attentively</a> when someone speaks to you. When you make people feel heard and valued, they will flock to you.</div> <div style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 25px; padding: 0px;"> <b>3. Be interested in what other people are saying.</b> Though you may be networking to increase your business contacts or clients, it shouldn’t always be about you. Listen, and appear genuinely interested in what the other person is saying. It’s also important to be able to briefly tell your story. The keyword is brief. The great thing about networking is engaging in two-way conversations with other people.</div> <div style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 25px; padding: 0px;"> <b>4. Think quality</b><b></b><b> – </b><b>not quantity.</b> It may be true that the more people you know, the merrier you are. However, when it comes to networking, quality is more important than quantity. Knowing and connecting with the few right people is a lot more important than creating less meaningful relationships with dozens of people.</div> <div style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 25px; padding: 0px;"> <b>5. Reach out to someone you need to get to know better.</b> Maintaining relationships is key to your<a class="" href="http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2014/08/13/3-keys-to-finding-your-perfect-career" style="color: #005ea6; text-decoration: none;">personal success</a>. How often have we made a connection, developed it and then failed to nurture it?<br /><br />Networking events are perfect opportunities to reach out to someone you know who might need to meet people at an event you’re attending.<i></i> Do you have a plan for connecting with others? Do you know their goals, activities, interests and networks? Do you know what the next steps are in creating a deeper relationship with them?</div> <div style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 25px; padding: 0px;"> Treat meetings with professionals as the beginnings of new relationships. Look for opportunities to connect more, get to know them and develop an even stronger relationship. Even if you don’t plan on trying to find a job, any contact with whom you develop a strong relationship will improve your business skills and the social network needed to be successful. </div> </div> <br /> <a href="http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2014/09/11/5-networking-tips-for-new-grads" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">View the original article here</a></div>

5 Networking Tips for New Grads

5 Networking Tips for New Grads Your crash course in standing out from the crowd and making meaningful connections. Drop the script. W...

Read more »

6 Ways to Hunt for Headhunters

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <header style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17.234001159668px;"><h1 class="h-biggest" style="font-size: 35px; line-height: 1.2; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px;"> 6 Ways to Hunt for Headhunters</h1> <h2 class="h-big h-slacker h-light h-normal" style="color: #999999; font-size: 21px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.2; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px;"> Help recruiters help you.</h2> <img alt="Fortune 500 CEOs slide 1" class="img-responsive block-generous" data-size="rectangle652" height="434" src="http://www.usnews.com/dims4/USNEWS/e756778/2147483647/resize/652x%3E/quality/85/?url=%2Fcmsmedia%2Fc1%2Fcd%2F3a4b8d444474873cfd2634770d79%2F140807edufortune5001-stock.jpg" style="border: 0px; display: block; height: auto; margin-bottom: 25px; width: 652px;" title="(iStockPhoto)" width="652" /><div class="t t-dim" style="color: #666666; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 25px; margin-top: -20px; padding: 0px;"> Learn how recruiters do their job, and you're more likely to build a beneficial relationship with one of them.</div> <div class="t t-dim" style="color: #666666; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 25px; margin-top: -20px; padding: 0px;"> <span style="color: #222222; line-height: 1.5;">In many areas, the U.S. economy is heating up. While long-term unemployment remains persistently high, in many labor markets, employers are finding it increasingly difficult to find talented people for key hard-to-fill roles. For example, the Boston Business Journal recently reported that the rate of unemployment for well-qualified information</span><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 1.5;"> </span><a class="" href="http://money.usnews.com/careers/best-jobs/rankings/best-technology-jobs" style="color: #005ea6; line-height: 1.5; text-decoration: none;" title="Link: http://money.usnews.com/careers/best-jobs/rankings/best-technology-jobs">technology professionals</a><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 1.5;"> </span><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 1.5;">in Massachusetts is down to 1 percent.</span></div> </header><div class="block skin-editable clearfix" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px;"> <div style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 25px; padding: 0px;"> More than at any time since the financial debacle that began in 2008, employers are now clamoring to find and attract quality employees. Their search for talent requires companies to rely upon and engage third-party recruiting companies for IT and many other fields.</div> <div style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 25px; padding: 0px;"> Working with a recruiter can be a great option if you are looking for a new job and have the particular skill set and experience for a hard-to-fill position. Bear in mind that they are invariably paid by the employer. Given that, some recruiters go out of their way to be helpful to candidates they know they can’t place, while others limit their focus to what they call MPCs – Most Peaceable Candidates.</div> <div style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 25px; padding: 0px;"> Because commissions are based on the principle of "first touch," a candidate has no value to a recruiter if he or she has previously <a class="" href="http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2014/08/12/how-to-avoid-the-resume-black-hole" style="color: #005ea6; text-decoration: none;">submitted a résumé</a> to a client. The value is also limited if a recruiter knows that the candidate is working with the competition and is likely to come to a position of having to choose between multiple offers.</div> <div class="ndn_embed ndn_embedContainer ndn-widget-embed-2 ndn_embedding ndn-widget-embed-5" data-config-distributor-id="90080" data-config-site-section="ndn2_usnews" id="ndn-video-player-2" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </div> <div style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 25px; padding: 0px;"> It can be very helpful to understand how headhunters go about finding candidates in order to position yourself to be easily found.</div> <div style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 25px; padding: 0px;"> <b>1. Internal database.</b> The soul of every recruiting company is its own internal proprietary database of people and résumés. Included will be potentially interesting candidates, people who have referred them to others and just about everyone the recruiters have ever dealt with.</div> <div style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 25px; padding: 0px;"> There are free services that will blast your résumé out to hundreds of recruiters in the hopes that it will “stick” somewhere. But beware that many recruiters see this is a self-defeating act of desperation, which also improves the chances that you will be working with their competition.</div> <div style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 25px; padding: 0px;"> <i>Tip:</i> Develop relationships with a few <a class="" href="http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2014/07/30/3-types-of-recruiters-and-how-to-impress-them" style="color: #005ea6; text-decoration: none;">key recruiters</a> who specialize in placing people like you to become a part of their database.</div> <div style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 25px; padding: 0px;"> <b>2. Sourcers</b>. There is a mostly "underground" industry of people and firms paid to source the names and contact information of potential “passive candidates” – currently employed individuals who are not overtly looking to be found. Sourcing companies do the dirty work of calling companies and getting past gatekeepers to determine who works in the relevant departments or serves in target roles. They also do extensive research on LinkedIn and through sophisticated Google searches. For example, they will cull lists of membership roles of professional organizations and lists of attendees at industry and professional conventions and conferences. </div> <div style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 25px; padding: 0px;"> Recruiters will take the lists of contacts that sourcers develop and reach out to anyone and everyone. If you get the standard line: “Do you know anyone who would be interested in or be a good fit for such-and-such role,” take that to mean: “Are you interested and available?” Of course, if the role sounds even a bit intriguing, don’t hesitate to begin a conversation.</div> <div style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 25px; padding: 0px;"> <i>Tip:</i> It's pointless to try to introduce yourself to a sourcer. Instead, leave professional tracks online. Attend and make presentations at meetings. Write blog posts about areas of your expertise using keywords particular to <a class="" href="http://money.usnews.com/careers/best-jobs/rankings/the-100-best-jobs" style="color: #005ea6; text-decoration: none;" title="Link: null">job descriptions</a> for which you would be a good fit.</div> <div style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 25px; padding: 0px;"> <b>3. Job board </b><b>résumé</b><b> databases</b>. Recruiters and internal human resources staffing pros pay to gain access to résumés posted on the mega job boards, such as CareerBuilder and Monster, as well as relevant smaller industry or skill-specific job boards.</div> <div style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 25px; padding: 0px;"> <i>Tip: </i>When you post your résumé, you lose the ability to tailor it to specific jobs. Nonetheless, if you have a strong generic résumé, it may well be worth posting.</div> <div style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 25px; padding: 0px;"> <b>4.</b> <b>Job board ads</b>. Recruiters frequently advertise the key positions they are seeking to fill.</div> <div style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 25px; padding: 0px;"> <i>Tip:</i><b> </b>Respond with a personalized cover letter and highly targeted résumé if you are qualified for the role. If you suspect you aren’t a great candidate, don’t apply! Instead, get in touch with the recruiter for the purposes of introducing yourself and building a relationship. And if you know someone who would be that great fit, do refer him or her!</div> <div style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 25px; padding: 0px;"> <b>5. Networking events</b>. Good recruiters understand that it is as much of a relationship business as a transactional one. They will frequently attend <a class="" href="http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2014/09/09/7-tips-for-networking-success" style="color: #005ea6; text-decoration: none;">networking events</a>, conferences and professional meetings to learn about and meet the “who's who” of any given group.</div> <div style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 25px; padding: 0px;"> <i>Tip:</i><b> </b>Attend these events, bring your business cards and prepare to network!</div> <div style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 25px; padding: 0px;"> <b>6. Social media.</b> Recruiters are all over sites like LinkedIn and find people based on status updates, group discussions and sophisticated searches of profiles for the right keywords.</div> <div style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 25px; padding: 0px;"> <i>Tip: </i>Make sure your profile is strong and keyword-rich. Post interesting updates, participate in groups and keep it entirely professional.</div> <div style="line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 25px; padding: 0px;"> Happy hunting!</div> </div> <br /> <a href="http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2014/09/23/6-ways-to-hunt-for-headhunters" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">View the original article here</a></div>

6 Ways to Hunt for Headhunters

6 Ways to Hunt for Headhunters Help recruiters help you. Learn how recruiters do their job, and you're more likely to build a bene...

Read more »