Your goal is to get your resume in front of those that are hiring. So you can be considered for that particular job or others that may become available. One way to stand out is to drop off a cover letter and resume in person with the receptionist at the company that is hiring the position you are interested in.  It allows you a moment to get your name in front of someone that may be sifting through hundreds of resumes and job applications.

~  Print out a custom cover letter and resume on nice paper (resume paper can be found at Office Depot, Staples, Walmart, Target, etc)
~  Attach a small personal note by paper clip or place in a large envelope
~  Place a label on the outside of the large envelope or of your small personal note/envelope  “Attn:  Human Resources”
~  Under that also put “Re:  and then list the job you are interested in”

Just leave your information with the receptionist.  Let them know you are interested in the position and have applied online and also wanted to drop off your resume in person.

This is just another useful strategy to help chase that dream job and get your information into the company another way other than online, etc.

You can also do a mailing to a group of targeted companies to get your name out there! If you are looking in a particular city and/or industry, you can buy a list of companies in that industry and revenue size and draft a cover letter and send that with your resume to target companies.   This can cost you around $500 or more with materials, postage and the list but can be worth it.

When to consider this.

You want to consider this option usually for higher level positions or ones that may be harder to find.  For example marketing for manufacturing company, etc.

~  Your goal is to get your information in front of someone in your industry that may know of others looking to hire
~  Your goal is not to target their people already in that position but to get your information in front of others who may be “in the know” of your particular industry

How to do this.  (Download the steps and print out to guide you step by step;  we can also walk you through this in email coaching support!)

Pull your list of companies.

~  First you want to buy a list of prospects in your area/city
~  Go to Hoovers and use their lead builder to buy the lists where contacts cost .24 per record
~  You can find it by going to http://www.hoovers.com/sales-leads/list-building/features-pricing.html
~  Go to the very bottom and you will see the lists with records costing .24 per record on the bottom right —  click on that link to start your list research

Selecting companies.

~  You will first want to click on the Company tab and define your company type
~  This includes area – which can be city or state or a metropolitan area
~  After you select the location then go down and select the company size
~  Most people select the ranges that are similar to size of companies they have worked for in the past
~  Select the size range of company by employees or revenue

Next select industry.

~  Click on the Industry tab
~  Scroll down the list until you find the industry you want to target
~  Use the plus size to expand the list into more detail
~  If you aren’t accustomed to this research use the Hoovers categories for ease in searching
~  Select the industry group

Look to the far right on your screen and you will see a number of how many companies meet that criteria.

~  This information on the far right will show you how much your list will cost to purchase
~  You can also narrow down your data or expand by changing size of companies etc.

Once you get this finalized purchase your list and you will be able to download that list in a .csv file format.  You will need Excel to work with this data.

~  Open the list by double clicking on it then save it as an Excel file

Data clean up.

Now that you have this list you can look each of the companies up on Google to see if they are still in operation, check for correct address and more.

The mailing and mail merge.

If you don’t know how to do a mail merge with letters and labels find a friend that does who can help you!  (We can easily assist for a fee as well if you need extra help!)

~  Craft a cover letter
~  Tell them you are looking for positions in the area in xyz field and wanted to reach out and send your resume to them
~  Ask them to please let you know if they know of any jobs in the area that you may be a fit
~  Do the mail merge and for most people send the letter to the attention of Human Resources or to a Director over the department you would like to work (i.e. Director of Accounting etc)
~  Complete the merge and proof the letters
~  Print your letters and sign
~  Print your resumes on same paper as cover letter
~  Do a mail merge with the addresses using labels and include your return address
~  Place cover letter and resume in a flat 9 x 12 envelope and place the label on each one – make sure label matches the letter!
~  Before placing postage, make sure to weigh it at the post office to make sure you include enough.  It will be at least 2 stamps, if not 3

You may also follow up with a phone call to make additional connections if you feel this may help.  Use your best judgement and be polite.  People are very busy and are inundated every day with sales calls.  If you do follow up with a phone call let them know you are following up to your mailing and wanted to know if they are aware of any positions for which you might be a good fit.

How you dress for your interview will depend on the job that you are going after.  One main rule of thumb for interviews is to dress just a little nicer than you think the day to day dress will need to be.

Uniform jobs

If you are interviewing for a job that has a dress code for all employees or a company uniform that you will be wearing, dress in business casual.  For example, khakis, a nice shirt and a light jacket with nice casual shoes is a great look for men.  For women, slacks or skirt and a blouse or nice shirt with flats or low heels is a great look.   This way you look presentable for the interview but they know you will be in uniform for your day to day job.

Have a nice professional haircut or have your hair sleek and professional and make sure your nails are trimmed and clean and for women have a neutral nail polish or light colored manicure.   If you have slightly yellowed teeth, opt for teeth whitening strips and lighten your teeth.  These can easily be found at any drugstore chain, Walmart, Target, etc.

Business casual jobs.

Many jobs today have a business attire in the office of business casual.  Depending on the position you are going for, slacks, button down or shirt and jacket for guys with modern shoes is a great look for guys.   For women, a sleek dress with low heels or slacks and a great top / jacket are perfect for women.   If you are interviewing for positions in a creative field or the arts, you can be more creative and edgy in your dress.  But it is still a good idea to be a little more professional and sleek for the interview.

Have a nice professional haircut or have your hair sleek and professional and make sure your nails are trimmed and clean and for women have a neutral nail polish or light colored manicure.  If you have slightly yellowed teeth, opt for teeth whitening strips and lighten your teeth.  These can easily be found at any drugstore chain, Walmart, Target, etc.

Executive or professional positions.

Typically for these positions you will always want to wear a suit for men or women and women can wear a sleek dress and heels.  Keep your hair professional and sleek and jewelry to a minimum for the interview.

Have a nice professional haircut or have your hair sleek and professional and make sure your nails are trimmed and clean and for women have a neutral nail polish or light colored manicure.  For women executives, short nails and neutral polish are key.  If you have slightly yellowed teeth, opt for teeth whitening strips and lighten your teeth.  These can easily be found at any drugstore chain, Walmart, Target, etc.

What if you don’t feel your best.

Many times we are interviewing for jobs when we don’t feel our best.   We can be down about the job search or have gained weight and not feel our best.  Your goal is to present a polished, confident look no matter how you are feeling.  So find an outfit you feel most comfortable in, get a great haircut and wow them with how awesome you are.  Most likely they will not see you in the negative light you are seeing yourself right now.  So put your best look together and go get em!!

A note for smokers.

If you are a smoker, try your best not to smoke in your outfit that you will be interviewing in and also diligently wash your hands and brush your teeth before the interview.  You want to put your best foot forward at the interview stage.

It can be hard to know when to tweak or change direction.   Here are several strategies we recommend:

1.  Map out your job types/descriptions that you will be targeting and your networking groups and connections.

2.  Target these jobs and stay in front of connections at least once a month.

3.  If you aren’t getting enough traction,

~  Begin looking at other job postings/titles that may be a fit and start applying for those
~  Find new sources of connections and networking groups;  expand your circle of influence
~  Reach out to new temp agencies;  they may have opportunities and can also give you feedback on the market, job hiring, etc.

Always stay in touch and connection with all of your relationships and the new ones.  The goal is if traction is slow, increase your circle of connections and make new relationships.  On the jobs and listings, expand your reach of what you are applying for to see if it gets more traction.

~  Consider relocation.   If you are looking locally and not finding anything after a few months it may be time to expand your reach and be open to relocating.

Reach out to us on Ask A Coach.  Q & A with a coach is free!  We can help you brainstorm through your next steps and action items.

A job search requires your personal energy to network, apply, interview, etc.  It can be draining and sometimes hard to find that energy to push through the to do lists and steps.  At the same time, it can also be discouraging if that perfect job isn’t coming as quickly as you’d like or if you are seeing a lot of competition.

You want to push through this and use your Daily Must Do List to help stay motivated.

~  Don’t worry about the obstacles.  Keep pushing and don’t give up.

~  Increase your connections and try new networking or job search groups for encouragement and new connections.

~  Remember it can be right time right place.  So keep at it daily so you can be in that right place when an introduction or opportunity arises.

~  Find people / friends who are encouragers.  Not necessarily advisors but people who believe in you and can be an encouragement.

~  Touch base with an encourager weekly for that shot in the arm of encouragement.

All interviews will be different. Some are easy, conversational and others have a set of questions they want to walk through with each candidate. During the interview you want to make sure that you have a chance to work into the conversation your strengths and skills.  So preparation is going to be important.  The better you “know” yourself and your successes/strengths, the more easily you can navigate the questions.

Be positive.

No matter how well or how tough the interview goes, be positive.  Make it a goal that no matter how the interview goes, you want to be positive, thankful for their time and for your chance at the position.

Follow the interviewer.

You will want to follow their lead on the line of questions.  For example if it is structured and “all business” you will want to be prepared with short, professional and to the point answers.  If the interviewer is more conversational, feel free to have light conversation and look for points of common interest (how long you have been in your city, work in your field, etc.).  But remember to still keep it professional and light.

Work into the conversation your skills and strengths.

The prep and writing down your strengths will help greatly with this.  No matter the questions they ask, find ways to work into the conversation the strengths and skills that you want them to see that you have.

Answer their questions.

Answer the questions they ask, with honesty and a positive outlook.  If there are some bumps in the road of your career, and many have them, find a way to answer these issues and points with a positive answer.  Be truthful but find a way to point out the positive.   If you have been fired from a job talk about what you learned from the experience, how you have grown and what you did to remedy those issues, etc.

Be to the point and give clear answers to their questions.  They are seeking to get to know how you fit with what they need and will be comparing you to other candidates.  So make it easy for them to remember your strengths by answering clearly and concisely.

The uncomfortable interview.

Sometimes you may find yourself in an interview and it just is not matching.  It may feel tense or you feel they just don’t want you there or that time is just dragging on.  Don’t write this interview off.  Use it as a chance to build your skills even if you feel it will be a ‘No’.   Use it for practice, be as positive as you can and remember even if it is uncomfortable or not a match they are taking time out of their day.   So try and find a positive and be gracious and thankful.

When going on your job interview, you will want to take several extra copies of your resume, a list of your key talking points that you want to emphasize in the interview along with a nice notebook or portfolio with a nice pen and note pad.  Here is your checklist:

~  Several copies of resume on nice paper
~  Print out the job description so you can review in the car before going in
~  Take your handwritten worksheet from the Interview Prep matching skills to the job so that you can review beforehand
~  Take several personal business cards
~  Take a nice letter size portfolio with notepad and a nice pen

You can find nice portfolios and a nice pen at Office Depot or Staples or even department stores and not have to spend as much.  There are many that are nice “fake” leather and nice expensive looking pens that aren’t expensive.   Package yourself as a winner!

Before any interview, be it phone, in person or just networking, you want to prepare. You want to be very comfortable with the information on your resume, your list of accomplishments and your past work experience.  This will help you navigate the questions in the meeting / interview more easily.

Prep for a networking meeting.

It is helpful to prep before a networking meeting or a one on one networking meeting.  You want to be able to discuss your job goals and your strengths with ease and confidence.  To prep for networking or one on one:

~  Take out your resume and your list of talking points
~  To help commit it to memory for ease in recalling key facts, write down on a blank piece of paper your top strengths and skills
~  Then write out by hand your goals and objectives with your job search

The exercise of writing these out by hand helps you commit them to memory so that you can recall them easily in conversation and also with confidence.

Prep for the interview.

When you are prepping for your interview, you have several goals.

~  You want to have confidence in answering any questions they may cover with you
~  You want to make sure you don’t leave out any key information you want them to know about you
~  You want to present in a professional light

To prep for the interview, you want to use the same steps as in preparing for a networking meeting, but tweak them just a bit.  To prepare for your interview:

~  Print out the job description for the position you are interviewing
~  Highlight the skills and experience they are looking for in this job
~  Now take your resume and a blank sheet of paper
~  Write out by hand in one column what they are looking for
~  Then in another column next to that write out how you match that skill or experience

Now you want to write out highlights of your past jobs because they will ask you specifically about these:

~  Write out the job you held and title, and write a few accomplishments for each position

After you have matched their description to your skills and highlighted past work experience, write out a list at the bottom of that sheet of paper of the additional skills and strengths you bring to the job.  For example, strong organizational skills, passion for your work, a team player, software and other program skills, etc.   Make sure to include things you want to get through to them in the interview about you and your experience!

Then at the very end, write out general strengths and one or two weaknesses or areas of “growth”.  So often they will ask about a “weakness” so you want to list a weakness that can be a strength – for example “I love work so much sometimes I work too hard.”

Review and repeat.

Many people will then take their sheets and the data they have written and rewrite it one or two more times.  Just to make sure they have committed to memory all they want to cover in the interview.

Writing it out by hand.

It may seem a little tedious to write it out by hand but the practice and the exercise of actually writing it out by hand helps you commit it to memory.

Another way to make sure that your resume gets in front of people is to consider dropping it in the mail. This is in addition to the online application(s) that you need to do.  Again, today with so many people applying for so many positions, your information can get pushed to the side or not noticed.

Drop it in the mail with a cover letter!

Pick the job or jobs that you are most interested in or really want to chase hard.

~  Try to do this as soon as the job is posted
~  Apply online and on their company website
~  Then draft or edit your cover letter to be customized to this position, referencing the position
~  Emphasize in your cover letter why you would be a good candidate for a first round interview or phone interview
~  Print your cover letter and resume on nice resume paper
~  Drop in the mail Attn:  Human Resources

You can do this for all of the top positions that you are chasing and your budget allows for postage and materials.

With all of the job recruiting websites and the online application process, applying for jobs can be tedious. But you want to go for everything and make sure you work with everything available. There are several strategies to use when applying online.

On the company website.

You will want to have a cover letter that you can customize with each job that you are chasing that is really important to you.  It can be hard to customize the cover letter for everything so having a good generic cover letter that you just change the date is really helpful!  So use that strategy.  But with really important jobs try and customize / tailor your standard cover letter to this particular employer and posting.

~  Allow time.  Applying on the company site means you more than likely have to fill in all those boxes and all of your information.
~  Have a PDF or Word doc of your cover letter ready
~  Have a PDF or Word doc of your resume ready
~  Have a separate list of accomplishments
~  Have 3 references lined up to fill in

Make sure to attach your resume, cover letter and accomplishments if they allow you to upload your information in addition to filling in the blanks.   Also attach references if they do not have a place to enter that data.

Job bank sites such as Indeed, ZipRecruiter, Monster etc.

Many of these companies will allow you to upload a resume that you can use for fast applying to their postings.  Many times they take a resume you have used to apply to one of their jobs and drop it into their resume format.  You will carefully need to check this as many times it does not display all of your information correctly.

~  Complete a profile and resume on their site to use for easy reply
~  Include your three references
~  Many will allow you to upload a resume and cover letter
~  Make sure your resume is good and strong and a little more general to be open to many employers
~  Make sure your cover letter is not dated and says “To whom it may concern” and does not reference a specific position but just imply “the position posted”

Applying.

Rules of the game are speed and best match:

~  When you get that notice from them of a position go and apply immediately
~  Check the job boards every a.m. to see if any new postings
~  Look through your contacts and LinkedIn to see if you know anyone that works with that company and reach out to them

Chase everything that looks viable and looks like an opportunity.   Use the only applications in conjunction with your personal networking and networking groups.  You never want to just do one thing…you must do all of them to land that job!

Temp agencies are another wealth of job resources and tend to know who is hiring, what is going on in your city or the market and more. They can offer temp to perm positions or temp positions in many different areas.  They are a great resource for anyone looking for a position as they can tell you what is going on in your particular city.

Temp positions.

They will have a listing on their site of all the positions they are trying to fill and can give an outline of the qualifications, etc.  Send them your resume, call and set up a meeting to visit with them by phone or in-person.  Get in front of them any way that you can to try and build a connection.  They will keep you in mind for not only temp but temp to perm positions.

Many times taking temp positions is a great way to add additional skills and expertise to your skills set so be open.  Especially if it is in an area that is hot and growing it can really be of benefit to add those skills.

Temp to perm.

Many times companies will hire employees on a temp to perm basis.  They do this for many reasons but it allows them to staff up to meet their needs and then see if they have the work load to move those employees into permanent positions.   Or it also allows them to see how employees will fit within the team or company.  These can be great avenues to permanent jobs and you want to be open to pursuing everything.

Contacts.

Again, by talking with temp agencies it just gives you a chance to meet more people, make more connections and get your name out there more!

Recruiters are a wealth of resources for your job search. There are paid recruiters you pay to help find you a job and there are those that are paid by the employer looking to fill the position. There are benefits to both and here is how to decide on what is best for you.

No Fee.

These are recruiters who are hired by companies to find candidates for them, sift through many resumes and then present to the employer the top group of resumes for an employer to review.  They are a wealth of information because they are constantly scouring the market to be hired to place individuals and they can provide a lot of information on who is hiring, what jobs are hot and more.

Many of these recruiters and recruiting agencies may specialize in particular fields such as accounting or creative professionals.  You can find out more about how is in your area of the country or city by typing into Google “job recruiters your city state”.  Review that list and see if there are any that hire for positions you are looking for.  In addition, you can search for recruiters in your particular area of work as well.

Many of these recruiting groups will have jobs posted on their site they are currently trying to fill for clients and you can also upload or email your resume to them to get your information in front of them.   Keep in mind that you want to review the types of positions they usually are retained to place and make sure you have those credentials or level of experience.

Fee Based.

There are fee based recruiters who you can pay to blast out your resume and information to their contacts and database of employers and other recruiters.  This can be helpful at times if you can fit that into your budget and is just another way of getting your information in front of people.

Job Fairs

Job fairs occur many times a year in many cities.  They can be run by the Chamber of Commerce or in larger cities can happen several times a year in convention centers or large hotel ballrooms.  This gives employers looking to hire many employees and many times for many different positions a chance to meet with candidates one on one.  Again don’t leave any opportunities on the table so always keep an eye out for Job Fairs and other hiring events.  You never know what you may learn about different companies and you never know who you may meet or additional contacts that you can make.

Online job banks, recruiters and job sources are everywhere today. They have made finding and applying for jobs much easier.  But at the same time it has also increased the number of applicants for each position making it even harder sometimes to get your resume into the right hands or to even be considered.   You have to work the online job banks and postings as well as the networking, resume drop off and more.

Finding jobs online.

There are many places where you can find jobs online and you want to scour all of them.  Leave no stone unturned.

~  Job banks for organizations and groups.  These are groups like marketing associations, etc.
~  Any type of organization that has a job board you want to constantly review it.
~  Job banks like ZipRecruiter, Indeed.com, Monster, CareerBuilder and more are loaded with job postings and they update them constantly
~  Networking groups, church job search groups and more may have job banks and listings
~  LinkedIn has a tremendous amount of job postings and many of them are high level
~  Some may charge a fee for reviewing leads.  If it’s small, such as 2.00 a month, consider it.  If it’s per lead avoid that and try first with all of the free resources.

How to find these job postings.

If you just enter your search in Google many postings will come up that also show you the different job posting companies and more.

~   Type in your search “brick layer in Oklahoma City” or “marketing director Atlanta, GA”
~  You will see many postings come up as well as a Google list of postings
~  Go through these and make a list of the job boards and job posting websites
~  Apply for all of the jobs you see that may be a fit!

Set alerts with all of the jobs boards.

~  For each title or type of job you want to be open to set up alerts with every job board you can find
~  They will email you automatically with jobs of interest and new postings so that you can follow through and apply
~  Set up several alerts with each one if you are open to different positions – for example one for marketing director and also one for marketing manager
~  You will need to set up a separate alert for each one “marketing director Atlanta GA” and “marketing manager Atlanta GA”

Hunt as hard as you can for job leads, job postings and everything you can find that will notify you of openings and who is hiring.

Networking is one of the best ways to find your next job. It is where you are able to reconnect with people that you know but do not see often, where you are able to establish new relationships and connect with others that may be “in the know” or hear about jobs and positions that may be of interest.

To effectively network you want to:

~  Leave no stone unturned.
~  Join every networking group you can.   Church job seeker networking groups, industry networking groups and more.
~  Go to events and social activities and network.
~  Build relationships that will allow you to set up coffee or lunch and talk to them about your job search.

Build connections!  Get your numbers up!  The more people that you connect with the greater your chances.

What to say?

~  Introduce yourself or reconnect.
~  Briefly let them know about your background and what job you are looking for.
~  Have a personal business card that you can give them with your name, email, mobile and your LinkedIn profile.
~  Ask for their card!
~  Send them your resume and cover letter, what job you are looking for and what your strengths are.
~  Try to set up coffee, breakfast or lunch to talk a little more about your search and that you appreciate any help they can give!

Build an email list.

~  Collect the email addresses from everyone you meet and reconnect.
~  Build an email list.
~  Every 2 months during your search send out an email with your resume and your key talking points.
—Let them know you are looking and that you appreciate all of their help!
—Ask them to keep you in mind if they hear of any positions or know of individuals they would like to introduce you to.

Don’t bug.

~  Don’t be the person people feel like they don’t want to run into!
~  Build the connections and get your information to them, but when you see them be light and breezy.
~  Have light and easy conversation.  They know you are looking and they have your information.
~  Just maintain visibility and keep expanding your network.