A lot of people love to meet new friends, and we usually meet most of our friends in places we are familiar with. Imagine you’re visiting a new place, and you don’t know anyone near you. If you are like me, meeting new people in a place you aren’t familiar with can be a little harder than the way you normally meet people.
So, how do you find people that are like-minded without even talking to them?
Introducing Sonar
The best answer to this weird question is Sonar, an iPhone application that finds people nearby you. Sonar uses your Foursquare, Facebook and Twitter accounts to find all the people that are near you.
When logged in to foursquare, Sonar will pull information from all foursquare users around you. Then, it will go deeper into their Facebook and Twitter profiles and find out what the users around you have in common with you. You’ll see a list of people that you might be interested in meeting.
Apart from showing what’s common between you and others near you, the app will also show the friends you have in common. However, no information will be pulled up in the case that the users near you have made their information private. So, you’ll only see the people who are also interested in meeting new friends and have made their information publicly viewable.
Sonar isn’t only great when it comes to meeting new friends. It can also be used for networking and marketing. If you happen to be around a few people but don’t know who to talk with, Sonar will help you get started digitally. All you need is a Foursquare account.
Conclusion
The best part of Sonar is that it’s a free application. Sonar is available in many languages including Chinese, Dutch, French, German, Russian, Spanish and of course English. The application runs well on any iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad that runs iOS 4.2 or later.
You can visit Sonar’s website here or directly go to App Store by clicking here.
The Google Android Market is the fastest growing app store at the moment with over 200,000 apps available and an increasing number of developers flocking over to the platform. The Android mobile operating system is impossible to ignore as on June 2011 Fortune reported that it powers more than 100 million gadgets and that every day another 400,000 Android devices are activated.
Given that there 215 carriers worldwide offering over 300 Android-powered smartphones, there is a good chance that you will try out an Android phone.
Here is a list of 5 must-download apps to get you started on your new Android.
The highly addictive game of word building and triple score seeking is available on Android smartphones, too. Now, you can play Words with Friends with your peers wherever you go.
If you consider yourself a master in vocabulary battles, create a game with a total stranger and see if you can learn a new word or two.
Android users one-up their iPhone-touting friends when it comes to Angry Birds by being able to download the entire series of games — Angry Birds, Angry Birds Seasons and Angry Birds Rio — without forking out a cent. Go ahead and entertain (or frustrate) yourself with numerous levels of puzzle-based pig bashing.
Springpad
Price: Free Category: Productivity Requires Android: 1.6 and above
Springpad is rated as one of the best productivity apps in 2010. You can easily take down notes, ideas, information and pictures on your Android smartphone. Whatever is saved on your Android phone can also be accessed online. Android users even get an exclusive widget that lets you save and access content faster.
Whatsapp Messenger
Price: Free for 1st year (USD1.99/year after) Category: Communication Requires Android: 2.1 and above
With Whatsapp Messenger, you can save on SMS and MMS. It allows you to chat with friends across multiple platforms including iPhone, Android, Black Berry and Nokia devices.
Whatsapp leverages your existing mobile data plan or Wi-Fi to send text messages, pictures, videos, audio recordings and your location to your loved ones. You can even create Group Chat sessions through Whatsapp.
Mobile TV
Category: Entertainment Requires Android: 2.1 and above
With Mobile TV, you can enjoy TV channel and Video on Demand programs on your mobile phone anytime and anywhere. You have a wide range of choices from over 25 channels, entertainment groups and hundreds of exciting programs.
Being on the move doesn’t mean you will miss your favorite shows anymore.
1. Create a website and/or online portfolio for yourself.
More things will come up on you when your name is Googled by potential employers, plus it will be a good place to direct people on Twitter or LinkedIn to learn more information about you. (Of course, Google yourself every now and then to make sure that nothing you would not want them to see is out there.)
And it is OK if you do not know how to design a website. There are tons of easy-to-use websites out there that do the hard work for you. For example:
The more places you have online presence, the more likely the right people might find you. Create profiles and post your resume on the main job sites, like Monster, HotJobs, CareerBuilder. But be careful of the scams!
Also, get involved with other job and networking sites like VisualCV or others that relate to your industry or geographic region. One great site I found is BigShoesNetwork, which posts tons of great marketing and graphic design-related jobs in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Illinois.
Your area’s newspaper, broadcast news, and industry organization websites usually offer local job postings, too! With marketing being a focus in my case, I look to my local chapter of the Business Marketing Association to see the positions they have listed.
3. Make a brand for yourself.
One way to do this would be to design a personal logo. If you are not very artistically inclined, a simple logo idea would be to download a neat font from a free font site like www.dafont.com and use the new font to type your name or initials. Play around with colors, too!
Also, take a professional photo of yourself to post online, and carry the two throughout your online profiles, your Twitter account, LinkedIn, and even your business cards. Yes, business cards! Design your own business card with your new logo on it. Again, if you need help, try one of the many free business card template sites out there, such as www.businesscardland.com.
4. Try in-person networking events.
Online networking can play an important part in building relationships, but it only goes so far. One of the best ways to create contacts would be to attend in-person networking events.
It has worked wonders for me! For example, local chapters of the Business Marketing Association, American Advertising Federation, and other industry groups hold dozens of events each year, and most welcome college students and recent graduates for a much smaller fee, as well.
The trick is to look at it not necessarily as a night of mini-interviews to get yourself a job, but symbiotic networking — think, “What can I do for them?” Create relationships with them and help them out on a volunteer basis. By showing them how great you are while helping them out, they may want you full-time or will recommend you to friends and colleagues who are hiring.
5. Arrange some informational interviews.
These are great ways to network and learn more about a company or industry. Like in-person networking, the trick is not to treat it as a real interview, which is usually a big turn-off to the person you are meeting with. Rather, see it as a friendly meeting that allows you to pick the brain of the person by asking intelligent questions. It is a great opportunity to let your personality shine, but still be polite and professional, of course!
Best-case scenario: they like you and want to: a) consider you for a position they are hiring for, b) have you to intern for them, or c) help them out on a volunteer basis (which is a great way to show them what you’ve got!)
What is more the norm, though, is that you have made a great networking contact and can keep in touch with them. When they hear of an open position, they might then think of you or will refer you to their colleagues for other informational interviews.
When I interned this past summer in NYC, I performed five informational interviews. I learned a ton about the industry and how the individual companies worked, not to mention gained extremely valuable networking contacts that I still keep in touch with today.
6. Don’t turn down an opportunity just because it’s not the “perfect” fit.
Through networking, you may receive various opportunities that may not be the most glamorous or even paid, but nearly every one will eventually pay off in some form or another.
For me personally, I try to never say no to any opportunity; each one is a chance to network and show people what I have to offer. However, this can be tough to balance if you already work a couple of other volunteer or part-time jobs or have a family and other responsibilities to care for. If you can handle it, though, you can almost guarantee it will be worth it.
Take a look at this article by Adrienne Waldo at Advertising Age on the types of offers you should jump at.
7. Have the job openings come to you.
Join relevant LinkedIn and Facebook groups, follow job posting-related Twitter accounts, and set up job posting website alerts that email open positions right to your inbox every day or week.
8. Follow industry news.
Find the latest happenings in your industry by following key Twitter accounts or signing up to get their newsletters (like those from PR News or Advertising Age for marketing folks).
Look for information about mergers, acquisitions, new accounts won, and department openings, for example. Even though there may be no open positions posted, send a prospecting letter describing how you learned about the news and are interested in their company. Give information about yourself and what you are looking for in a position, and ask if they need an addition to assist with a new account, a new department, etc.
This has worked for me in the past! Although the company was not hiring, they were impressed with my initiative, how I kept up with industry news, and wants me to keep in touch. When they do decide to make additions in the company in the next few years, I know I will be one of the first to hear about it.
9. Figure out a target person’s email.
With a little bit of online research, especially when using LinkedIn, you should be able to figure out the name of a person within the company you are applying to-whether it is the head of the department you want to work in or the head of human resources. Finding their email address might be a little more difficult. However, if you find someone’s — anyone’s — email address from the company (if found nowhere else, a contact should be listed under the “Press” tab on their website), you have basically gotten your target person’s email address down. There are a few popular forms email addresses typically come in:
So if the press contact’s email address is in the form of Firstname.Lastname@companyname.com and your target’s name is Joe Smith, then their email would likely be Joe.Smith@companyname.com. If you are between two email addresses and you cannot figure it out, utilize the BCC feature on email and send it to both without either being able to see that you sent it to the other address, too.
10. Finally… Follow up!
I know there is a lot of debate and controversy about following up, but if weeks have passed after applying and the company has yet to contact you, what have you really got to lose?
Give them a call (or email to be a little less intrusive). But don’t ask the age-old question “Have you received my application?” Rather, ask if the position still open, what their timeline is, if they need any other information, or if they would be open to receiving any work samples to help them make their decision.
The job interview questions you need to pay attention to
Job interviews are tough, and so are the questions. Learn how to answer five of the toughest interview questions here:
1. "Tell me about yourself."
This is not the time to share your life story. What they're looking for is a brief overview of the aspects of your experience and background that relate to the position. Talk about some accomplishments or strengths you felt really good about, and how you think they prepared you for the position you're interviewing for.
Example: "I have six years of advertising experience, and spent the past three years as the Assistant Production Manager at This Company, overseeing production schedules, hiring, and deadlines. In that time, I streamlined the workflow so that we were able to meet the deadline for every monthly print project, and in many cases we went to print well before the actual deadlines. I saved the company two weeks worth of staff overtime and expenses. Time management is one of my greatest skills, and I'm sure it would easily transfer to the Production Manager position you're offering here."
2. "What do you think is your greatest weakness?"
The best way to answer this question is honestly—mention a real weakness that won't affect your ability to do the job, or address a skill you're just learning and want to develop. Avoid calling attention to any weakness that's one of the critical qualities the hiring manager is looking for. And don't try the old "I'm a workaholic," or "I'm a perfectionist" approach.
Example: "I'm not as strong as I'd like to be on social media, so I'm spending about three hours a week blogging on topics I'm interested in, and reading some perspectives on the business-to-business value of social media. I'm already learning some things I can bring here, and hope to find more ideas on how to use social media as a customer relationship tool."
3. "What did you like least about your last (or current) job?"
Don't vent or focus on the negative with brutally honest answers such as "My boss was a jerk," or "They just weren't giving me the opportunity to take my career to the next level." Instead, keep the emphasis on the positive, even though there are sure to be things you weren't happy about.
Example: "That's a tough question to answer. I've had lots of opportunity at This Company, and I work with some outstanding people. I guess if I had to pick one thing, it would be the occasional meeting that goes an hour longer than scheduled. I like to tackle a certain number of tasks each day and that extra hour could have let me to get back to a client more quickly."
4. "Where do you see yourself in 5 years?"
Since anything can happen and change in five years, this is an impossible question to answer. What they really mean is: "If I hired you, could I count on you to stay with this company long-term?" Therefore, avoid answers such as "I hope to be running my own business," or "I plan to be retired by then."
You can provide an answer that satisfies their interests by indicating that you hope to be well established as someone who is helping the company succeed.
You can also turn the question back to the interviewer, and ask where they see the company in five years. You might not know on a personal level where you'll be, but most companies have goals and plans that look out two to five years. Their answer might give you an idea if it's a company worth settling down with.
5. "Tell me about a time you failed."
Think of a work-related situation that didn't turn out quite as you had hoped. The interviewer is interested in seeing how you took responsibility for your failure, what you learned from it, and how you would prevent similar failures from happening again.
Examples:
"I once rushed a project to make a shipping deadline but inadvertently skipped a couple of critical steps. We ended up discovering the mistake before the customer installed the products, but they weren't pleased. I never made that mistake again."
"I thought my aggressive sales tactics were a great quality until I lost a client for being too pushy. I've since learned to tone things down and really understand my clients' needs before determining how to help them."
Looking for answers to other common interview questions? Ask them in the comments below.
This week I’m re-running three of the best networking tips I’ve found recently to help you find a job faster.
These proven networking tactics get results in good times and in bad.
Which can you try today?
1) Network with the Recently Departed
David Perry, author of “Guerrilla Marketing ForJob Hunters 2.0,” shares a unique way to find and connect with employers using Google.
It’s this: Find and call people who used to work where you want to work now.
“The fastest way to learn the real workings of an organization is to Google past employees and call them up. This is exactly what I do. Before I take a recruiting assignment from a company to place an executive there, I want to know if I’m walking into a hornet’s nest,” says Perry.
Here’s how to do it …
Google the name of your target employer and the word “resume.” The search results will include resumes of people who used to work there. (You may want to add the word “experience” to “resume” in your search; experiment using Google’s Advanced Search options.)
Once you find resumes, pick up the phone and call. Say: “Hi my name is _________. I’m researching XYZ Corp. and it looks like you used to work there because I found your resume online. I’m thinking of applying for a job there. May I ask you a few questions? I know this is an unusual way to do a job search …”
Most people will be impressed by your initiative, flattered to be asked for their opinion and willing to help you out.
“You want to learn about three areas: the company and its culture; the department you would work in; and the name of the manager you would report to,” says Perry.
Finish your conversation with this all-important question: “If I decide to talk with them, may I say that I spoke with you?”
“You ask this for two reasons,” advises Perry. “First, if they left on good terms, you can drop that former employee’s name when contacting the company to ask for a meeting. Second, that person may phone his old boss and tell him or her to keep an eye out for the smart person who just called — that would be you.”
If you’re hesitant about this technique, try it on a company you have no intention of applying to. Work out the bugs first, then network your way into your ideal employer.
2) Recognize — and Work Around — Your Shyness
If you’re shy about calling strangers to discuss your job search, take heart — so are most other people!
“It’s a myth that you have to be an extrovert to network. It’s not about personality at all. Networking is simply a skill,” says Donna Fisher, author of “Power Networking: 59 Secrets for Personal & Professional Success.”
Tip: Focus your attention on others and how you can help them, because this automatically makes you less self-conscious. “Once you realize that others feel awkward, too, you’re going to feel more natural, network better and gather valuable information,” says Fisher, who confesses to being somewhat shy herself.
Yet, even an introvert can start a good conversation. All you have to do is let the other person talk about themselves. Fisher suggests these openings the next time you find yourself at a networking function:
“How did you get involved with the ____ Club?” “Can you tell me a little bit about this organization?” “What made you decide to go into your line of work?”
3) Follow a “Wish List”
Before you start networking to find a job, you have to know where you’re going.
“Through job postings, online information and network connections, [you should] create a wish list of the companies where you would like to work,” suggests ExecuNet Vice-President, Lauryn Franzoni.
Once you have specific employers in mind, your network can lead you to people you need to meet. “The more you know about a company and the problems they face, the better positioned you are to demonstrate how you can help,” says Franzoni.
People respect — and are quick to help — other people who know where they’re going.
So, help others help you. You absolutely need to know where you’re going — the names of 10-20 companies you want to work for. With this “wish list” in hand, it’s a simple matter of finding people you know (or, more likely, people they know) at your target companies, and getting referred to a hiring manager there.
A few steps can make a huge difference in your phone interview
Before you get a job, you must pass the phone interview. This is just part of the job hunt - and must be done properly. The issue is many college grads who are looking for jobs have no clue how to handle job interviews! Watch this video to find out how to answer interview questions, fix your voice and tone, and succeed in the phone interview. When you're done watching, browse our other content!
Most first job interviews are via telephone. A hiring manager sees your resume, thinks you may be a good fit, and calls you. It is very important to be ready for that first call because it is your one chance to move forward in the hiring process. Flub it and you won’t get a second opportunity. Make the sales presentation of your experience count.
Control Contact
Do not list every possible telephone number at which you can be reached. A home number and cell number are typically all an employer needs. If your cell is a company phone, list only your home number or obtain a personal cell phone. A company phone should not be used for job search. Do you spend a great deal of time during the day in situations where it would be difficult to talk spontaneously to a prospective employer such as meetings or in a shared office? Make sure you have a very professional voice mail message and check your messages regularly. Return all calls as soon as possible and if you end up in a “phone tag” situation, be persistent and proactive.
Focus
If you receive that first call while driving or any time you cannot devote 100% of your attention to the conversation, ask the caller if you can return the call. Distracted conversations make for poor interviews. When an employer or recruiter calls, they understand the time might not be good and are generally open to scheduling a call for a later time. Try to schedule the conversation as soon as possible and don’t forget to get a name and number for a contact.
Practice Tough Answers
Many people have some sort of obstacle in their current career search or a past problem that may come up in an interview. Be especially prepared to discuss such issues, not because they are more important but because they cause the most anxiety. Knowing what you are going to say to tough questions makes them much less scary.
Be aware of information about you in the public realm. Make sure you conduct an Internet search on yourself. Employers will be doing this so you need to be on the same page. Be aware that your social media activities will also be reviewed by many employers or recruiters. If you have a Facebook page or Twitter account, it might be examined by employers. Be careful what you put there and don’t be surprised if a related question arises in the interview.
Use Your Resume
The resume’s usefulness does not stop with gaining the interview. It is your guideline for steering your interview. Carry your own copy with additional notes added. It is impossible (and unnecessary) to include all information in a resume so having additional facts and figures that support information in the resume can be a great aide in the interview. Think of it as a sort of “cheat sheet” for helping you to remember facts during the interview.
Be Informed
If you apply to a company, know something about that company! Knowledge is power. If a hiring manager calls ten people and only two of them can speak informatively about the company, its mission, and its products/service, those two will be the ones to move forward in the process! Ask informed questions that make sense and are company-focused.
Give Scenarios
Employers want to know not only what you’ve done but they want to know in what context. Be prepared to back up your claims to skills and expertise with specific scenarios and details about your performance. For example, if you have experience in project management, be ready to talk about a couple of projects you handled successfully. Select “stories” that will demonstrate your expertise. Bring in details and make sure to emphasize successful results of your efforts.
Are you enthusiastic about your potential? That’s great but don’t let it get control of your tongue. An interview is a dialogue – it isn’t a monologue opportunity for you. Let the interviewer get a word in! Answer the question presented and keep your answers on topic. It is very easy to rabbit-trail off and chatter away but it is not helpful. It’s frustrating to the interviewer who probably has a limited amount of time and the information you chatter about may not even be relative. If you have trouble knowing when to stop talking, practice with a stopwatch. Limit your answers to two minutes if possible.
When the employer or recruiter calls you, you are “on”. Think ahead about what you will say, how you will handle specific questions, and have “stories” prepared that will demonstrate the skills and experience you offer. Use your resume as a guide and don’t prattle on about topics. Let the employer ask questions and ask some of your own. An interview is a conversation! Relax and make a great impression!
In some cases, telephone interviews are a way for employers to “pre-screen” possible job candidates before they are granted an in-person interview. In other cases, employers will conduct the full interview over the phone. Whether you are required to go through a pre-screening or have already been given the interview, you must be more prepared than you would be for an in-person interview, even if you are allowed to interview in your PJ’s. Below are some telephone interview tips to keep in mind so your next phone interview is a success.
Telephone Interview Tips
1. Use a landline. You don’t want to risk having problems with cell phone service. It is irritating for employers to conduct interviews if the call breaks up frequently or is dropped completely. If you don’t have a land line at home, just make sure you are in an area with as much cell phone service as possible. Do what you can so the process runs as smooth as possible.
2. Keep your materials handy. In fact, lay everything out in front of you. This includes your resume, notes about your career objective (even if it isn’t included in your original cover letter it’s a good idea to have this out depending on the questions he will ask you), a pen and pad of paper for note-taking and anything else you think may be helpful during your interview. Because you won’t have to schlep into an office, you can have anything out in front of you to aid with your success.
3. Steer clear of distractions. Find a quiet place to interview and stay there! There shouldn’t be any noise in the background to distract you or your potential employer. However, it is understandable that this can be tricky if you have young children at home who need your attention. When you set up your interview appointment, try to schedule it for as precise a time or window as possible. That way, you are able to avoid possible distractions (ex.: your phone interview is between 4 and 4:30, so no one can have company over during that time, the kids are fed and occupied or a sitter will watch them, if need be.)
4. Speak slowly and clearly. When you speak to people face-to-face, you are able to understand what they are saying more clearly because you can see their mouth move. So in a way, you are reading their lips! Neither you nor your potential employer will be able to do this over the phone of course, so speak clearly and a little bit more slowly than you would if you were talking to this person in person. If you can’t hear him, drop hints that he isn’t speaking clearly or loud enough by politely asking him to repeat himself. If this makes you uncomfortable at all you can always blame it on your phone: “I’m really sorry, it’s hard to hear you, the volume on my phone just won’t go up!”
5. Remember – you can’t be seen. That means that anything you say cannot be interpreted by your body language. Beware of jokes or sarcastic remarks that would have been harmless had he seen your facial expression. Maintain your professionalism; stay on target with the interview topics and focus on the key information about you that will get you hired.
6. No eating, drinking or chewing gum! This is self-explanatory. But, we humans are creatures of habit and might pop a potato chip in our mouths at just the wrong moment. However, when I say no eating or drinking I mean during the phone interview. You should eat beforehand to get your brain going so you can focus.
7. Prepare questions ahead of time. Just like in a personal interview, prepare a few questions to ask your potential employer at the end of your phone interview. Some examples are: “What does a typical day look like for an employee with this job?” “What are some skills I would need to develop in order to excel in the position I’m applying for?” “What software/equipment would I be using?” Remember – do not ask about salary or benefits until the employer has brought it up. Fortunately, it can be less intimidating interviewing over the phone with these telephone interview tips and you may even feel more confident that you’ll do well. Great! As long as you are fully prepared and take the necessary precautions, there is no reason why you shouldn’t have a successful phone interview.
Does your resume contain mistakes that are preventing you from being considered for that “ideal” job? There’s a good chance it is, even if you had it prepared by a resume professional. With an average of six job seekers for every job opening in the US, recruiters and hiring managers receive thousands of resumes for every listing. With that in mind you have about five seconds to convince them to read further and they will spend no more than 15 seconds before deciding to interview or not. Most recruiters will tell you that when they scan resumes they are initially looking for easy reasons to eliminate candidates in order to “reduce the pile” of email trash. Here are some common blunders that offered by veteran recruiters.
1. Unprofessional contact information
If you’re using an email address that sounds something like “Billy&JohnnysDad@” you’re giving recruiters and hiring managers a quick reason to say no. A similar blunder is using an email address that appears like some kind of code “pbi439_jht@”. If you’re resume makes it to the interview pile you may never know it because an assistant accidentally miss-typed your email. Give your job search a boost and create a new email address that is simple and professional. Your first and last name is the best way to go and if that’s not available through your preferred provider just
add a middle initial or a simple number to the end. While you’re reviewing your contact information take a few minutes to consider the phone number you’re providing. Make sure you’re voicemail sounds clear and professional. Don’t use a phone number that is shared, use a cell phone or have a dedicated line added through you’re provider.
2. Including a “me-focused” objective
Employers don’t care what you want; they care about solving a problem. They want to hire a person who will solve their problem and are not particularly concerned about where they fit into your career goals. While that may be a question during an interview, on the resume you need to focus on how you can help the company. What you should include is a headline or branding statement that speaks directly to what the employer needs. This should be refined and customized for each offering.
3. Highlighting job duties, instead of accomplishments
Resumes should primarily have high-impact statements about your accomplishments that relate directly to the job description. This allows you to sell yourself as the best candidate. Avoid phrases like "responsibilities included" or "duties included" and focus on measurable accomplishments that set you apart from other job candidates.
4. Using hard to read fonts and formatting
Before your resume reaches human eyes, it will likely pass through an applicant tracking software system that will determine whether your resume should be moved forward. Fancy fonts and formatting are unreadable to the softwareand will be rejected immediately. In addition, since recruiters and hiring managers will generally review the resume electronically first, online readability is essential. Use simple, clear fonts and avoid fancy lines and graphics.
5. Listing references on your resume
Your references are a vital resource and you don’t want to disrespect their willingness to help you by spamming their contact information to every company that you apply to. Instead, list them on a separate sheet that you provide only when requested as part of the interview process. In addition, there is no need to include the line “references available on request” on your resume. It is assumed and just wastes space.
6. Including salary expectations Never include salary related points in the resume. It will distract the reader's attention and you may lose the chance to interview. It's better to keep it out of your resume completely. If this information is requested in a job application it is better to include the information in the cover letter. It is also better to use a wide range for salary rather than a specific number.
7. Failing to include reason for leaving
If you have gaps in your resume or if you have made job changes that may seem questionable on paper, answer the questions on your resume. A hiring manager will ask and answer the question for you if the information is not provided which is not in your best interest.
8. Poorly organized
While writing your resume, you should maintain a proper order of importance. Make sure it is organized in a way that is easy to follow. Job titles are more important than dates of employment. It's better to put the educational details at the end. If you are a recent graduate, then only you should highlight it. More significance should be given to the information that meets the need of the employers.
9. Typos and Grammatical Errors
It may sound insignificant, but a small spelling mistake or grammatical error can cost you the job you are applying for. Your resume needs to be grammatically perfect otherwise it will create an impression of a careless person in the minds of the employers.
10. Unrelated information Mention such facts that lend credibility to you as a job applicant. You should avoid stating information in your resume that has nothing to do with the job you are applying for. Very often job seekers make this mistake while telling about their hobbies or accomplishments. If you are applying for a software developer position, what sense it would make if you state that you were an arm wrestling champion as one of your accomplishments?
It is simple – the way to stand out and get hired is to understand what a hiring manager goes through. Today, two or three times as many applications and resumes are received for virtually every open job; hiring managers are buried under reams of paper or thousands of e-mails. So, what would make his job easier? What would get his attention? What would make you stand out?
It won’t be resumes submitted on colored paper or including movie tickets with your application. It will be by ensuring that the hiring manager quickly, easily and accurately knows these three important things about you: how you perform, how you fit and what value you will provide.
Step back for a minute and borrow a little from Stephen Covey, author the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People: “start with the end in mind.” What is your real goal of submitting an application or resume? It is to convince the hiring manager that you are the right person for the job because your performance will drive the greatest value for the company. This requires that you know what you are good at (your talents), what jobs need your talents (to see whether you fit) and how your performance can impact company value. Knowing this helps you to apply for the right jobs – jobs that allow you to maximize your performance and value. When you clearly present this information, you make the hiring manager’s review process easier, more effective and more conclusive. You get his attention. You stand out. This is how to get hired.
1. Performance.
Critical to understanding and maximizing your perform is knowing what you are good at and what you love to do. These are reflected in your talents – your natural abilities, interests, strengths and aptitudes. Most people spend very little time assessing and understanding their talents and strengths. Without this meaningful information, we unknowingly apply for and work in jobs that do not use what we are good at; we become disinterested, disconnected and bored. When performance suffers, value suffers.
Most of today’s average and poor performance is due to employees hired into the wrong jobs. They are neither good at it or love doing it – both required to excel and to make provide the greatest value.
To determine what you are good at, take a talent assessment. A talent assessment tool provides survey questions to help identify your thinking style and your natural strengths. Additionally, a talent assessment helps you learn the language of talents – terminology that will be important to include on your resume or application, and to discuss in your interview.
How to get it right for the hiring manager:
Create a talent-based resume. Present your primary talents on the resume. Explain what you are good at and how you have used these talents in other jobs. This shows the hiring manager that you understand what activates your performance and can see the impact of it in what you have done in the workplace.
2. Fit.
Once you have defined your talents (what you are good at), determine which jobs, roles or responsibilities need your specific talents and strengths. These jobs will provide an engaging environment where you get to do what you are naturally good at and what you love. These environments activate and inspire your greatest performance. Fit is critical for both performance and value.
As you can see not only will you need to know your talents, but you will also need to assess the critical talents for the jobs you are applying for. Fit relates to the matching of your talents to the talents needed to be successful in the job.
Let’s say your talents (natural thinking and strengths) are more social and relationship-based. Roles in sales, service, healthcare and the arts are therefore a better fit than roles that require more linear, analytical and detailed thinking such as accounting, auditing, engineering and IT. Not only will you be better at relationship-building and social contact, but these jobs will also appeal more. Consider what a salesman thinks of an accounting job, or what an accountant thinks of a sales job. Neither would be inspired to their greatest performance by the other’s work responsibilities. Hiring managers know this. Fit matters. The more closely the job fits your talents and strengths, the greater you perform.
How to get it right for the hiring manager:
The hiring manager is very interested in a job seeker’s fit. Most of today’s current resumes don’t provide the “fit” component. The way to stand out and get hired is to assess the talents needed to be successful in the job, and then to openly compare them to your talents. Show this comparison. This makes the review process more effective and more accurate. This is part of the critical information the hiring manager needs.
3. Value.
Face it, few people do something for nothing. This hiring process is a transaction for value. In exchange for your pay, the company expects a return. The greater the return, the more value they see in you. This is the focus of the hiring manager – to attract, hire and retain those employees who maximize value.
How to get it right for the hiring manager:
On the talent-based resume, summarize how your talents have increased the value in your previous jobs. Provide specifics. Comment on how your ideas, performance and influence have positively affected customer loyalty, efficiency, profitability and results. Provide numbers, percentages or ratios. Highlight your impact and how your talents and thinking have contributed to your performance. Help him see your ability to create similar or greater value for his company. This is the specific goal of the resume and application process. Value. Sustained value. Maximized value. This is what makes you stand out and get hired.
To get hired, you need to make the hiring process simple, obvious and conclusive. Know your talents and what you are good at. Share this information. Know what jobs use your talents to maximize your performance. Share this information. Know the impact of your performance on the company – how you add value. Share this information. Performance, fit and value – the three things that will get you hired.
you're writing your resume and figure the structure is fine, but what about the content? With more and more resumes being sent to fewer positions, employers see the same phrases come up over and over again. In order to write a resume that stands out, job seekers should avoid using the following seven phrases:
1. "Effective Communicator"
This phrase on resumes doesn't distinguish you from other job applicants, but that's exactly what you need to do today to be called in for an interview. Hiring managers assume you can communicate well, so, if you don't know how — either by e-mail or with your voice — you have about as much chance of getting hired as a tree.
2. "Detail-Oriented"
Every job requires a certain level of attention to detail. So, again, this won't help your resume — or your chance at landing an interview. The best thing to do here — if you know the job you're applying for calls for this trait in particular — is to be ready to explain in an interview how your high level of attention to detail resulted in a key accomplishment in your current or previous job.
3. "Highly Skilled"
This is a nothing phrase. You have skills, and you can use some or all of those skills in some kind of job that calls for them. The only way you don't have skills is if you've been doing — here it comes — nothing. Do you believe you have more skills than the average applicant? Show, don't tell.
4. "Reliable"
You'd better be if you get the job. Again, this is a trait that can go without saying on your resume. It just doesn't distinguish you from the others who may want the same job.
As opposed to what? A "Lethargic Loner"? Just about every organization wants someone who has the energy to do a job and can work effectively with others, and if they don't get that vibe from you, those empty words on a resume won't convince them.
7. "Able to Meet Deadlines"
Here's a question to ask yourself: If you were to meet just one of every 10 deadlines, how long would you last in your job? Once again, this is an obvious trait that merely says you can do the bare minimum.
There are tons of other resume words and phrases that could have made this list, so do you have any of your own? Comment below!
Prepare for your interview by a review of these 10 rules. They will guide you to be confident, speak with clarity and use the interview to show your talents, fit and value. This is your moment to stand out and get hired.
Rule 1: Think “fit.”
The interview is as much for you to determine if the company is the rightfit for you as for the company to decide if you are the right fit for them.
Rule 2: Impressions matter.
Be on time. Be professional and conservative in your appearance. Watch the length of the skirt and the cut of the blouse. Shirts should be pressed, neat and should fit you. Your care about yourself is a statement about the care of your work.
Rule 3. Be positive, upbeat, optimistic and congenial.
Notice details around you to ask about to start a casual conversation; this helps both parties relax. Be human and work first to connect to the interviewer as a person.
Rule 4. Have three great questions ready to ask to show that you want to fully understand how you can make a significant difference in the company.
This also ensures that if you feel an uncomfortable pause, you have a question ready to keep the conversation moving. Here are my suggestions:
1. How do you share information and performance expectations with your employees? 2. What do your employees like most about working here? What do your employees find most challenging about working here? 3. How are employees held accountable for making a difference in their jobs?
Rule 5: Focus on your value.
Interviews are the time for you to give more details about what you are great at and how you add value. Don’t be shy about your ability to make a difference. Be sure you can quantify your impact; give details about how you improved things, invented things, saved the company money, brought a team more together, etc. The more you can focus the interview around your value, the more the hiring company will see that they need you.
Rule 6: Be confident, not arrogant.
There is a fine line between being confident and sure of your abilities, and starting every sentence with “I.” Confidence is what they want to see in an interview and if you are applying for a job that uses what you are good at, and you are passionate about doing, you will be confident. If you interview for jobs that don’t match your interests, talents and passions, you will find that you have to make yourself sound greater and more “extraordinary.” This is what makes you sound arrogant. So, be casual and confident. Go into the interview knowing you are a good fit for the job and will be able to make a big difference. Don’t be humble. Don’t be arrogant. Be confident.
Rule 7: Make sure you know all the facts.
Be sure you know the expectations, pay rate, working conditions, benefits, and any specific details of the job; confirm your understanding of the details of the position during your interview. This not only ensures you are well informed so you can make a good decision about accepting or not accepting the job, but it also shows the interviewer that you have done your homework to understand the company and are ensuring your understanding is accurate and complete. This shows focus, conscientiousness and commitment – all attributes needed in any position.
Rule 8: Look for common ground.
There are studies out that support that we connect best to people who share similar interests or attributes with us. As you approach your interview, notice pictures, objects, awards and other things that first give you information about the interviewer, but also help you see areas about which you both can connect. If you both have coached soccer, lived in a section of a city, drive a certain car, etc…you have some commonality. This makes the interview more personal and more comfortable for both.
Rule 9: Remember the power of body language. Your communication message comes through in three elements:
1. Verbal – what you say (the words you choose). 2. Vocal – how you say what you say (inflection, volume, intonation). 3. Visual – what you look like (body language).
Okay, here is what is really important. Your message comes through each of these elements in different percentages (which means some of the elements of communication are more important than others). Only 7% of your message comes through in your verbal (words), 38% comes through in your vocal (intonation) and 55% comes through in your visual (body language). That means what you look like, your facial expressions, how you sit, how you shake hands all convey more of your real message than what you say and how you say it. This is because what you really feel is conveyed to your 53 facial muscles without any “editing.”
When it comes to the words we choose and the way we say things, we can edit and control our delivery. So watch your body language. If the interviewer describes a the hours of the job and you hate working second shift, you may say “fine” but your face will convey that hours are not fine. You may actually roll your eyes or shake your head as you say fine. The interviewer believes your body language more than your spoken language.
The same works in the reverse. When your body language is excited, interested and engaged, it creates a greater impression than just if your language and tone is upbeat and positive. So get excited about your interview – it will show.
Rule 10: Have fun.
Now not many people think that interviews are fun but think for a minute about how differently you feel and act when you are stressed and when you are having fun. Which showcases the better you? Then shouldn’t you look to find a way to be relaxed, be casual, be conversation and be human? And when you act this way, you will find the interviewer (if they weren’t wise enough to act this way from the start) will join you. And for fun I mean be focused but casual. Ask questions about how the workplace has a good time. Ask questions about what the interviewer does for fun when he/she is not working. Share what hobbies you have because your hobbies show your passions. Not only does this give the interviewer more information about you (and good information), but when you talk about the things you love to do, you get more energized, more relaxed and more confident. These are the attributes they need to see in the interview. Warning – stay away from sharing jokes unless you are great at it. Most jokes backfire. But fun isn’t always about jokes.
Remember – be sincere, honest and human. Show what you are great at. Be confident in your abilities. Speak from the heart. Find out the facts. Be sure you fit for them and they fit for you. Then, once hired, blow them away with your great performance. Good luck. Be great.
If you're a professional searching for your next opportunity in today's aggressive job market, you've probably found that the task of marketing yourself on your resume is unlike any other.
How do you sum up a long, storied career in just a few paragraphs? What is the best way to differentiate yourself on paper--and to get employers to see your value?
Standing out among the pack requires an intense emphasis on your natural leadership abilities, the impact you have on your employer's business, the feedback you get from colleagues, and the hard skills that you bring to the table.
This information comprises what is known as a "personal brand," and it has become the cornerstone of a successful professional resume in the employment arena.
Here are 5 insider tips that can help bring out your personal brand--and get your resume to open more doors for you:
1 - Hone Your Message.
Many resumes contain too much detail, which is quite understandable given the long tenure that some candidates possess.
However, it's asking a lot of hiring authorities to wade through more than 2 or 3 pages of information.
My recommendation? Sharpen the intensity of your branding message by zeroing in on your top 3-5 main qualifiers, including success stories and keywords that back these up.
In addition, focus on one career goal and skill set at a time. This may mean that you will create one resume targeting a role in Operations, and another that describes your skills for a Sales position.
2 - Don't Bury the Lead.
As we used to say in journalism, get your critical information all up front and ready for the reader to absorb.
Just started a high-level MBA program? Get it on the front page. Held roles of increasing scope that lead to your destination as Sales Manager? Make it obvious.
Don't bury this type of key information on page 2 of your resume. The top half of the first page is prime "resume real estate," and your main qualifications deserve center stage here.
In addition, many job hunters benefit from a branding statement, which is a short sentence that serves as a marketing tagline. You can develop this sentence by jotting down some ideas on what you bring to the table, and how you achieve it.
A great branding tagline will tap into the heart of what you offer, such as these examples culled from the front-page position on professional resumes:
"Operations Leader Who Leverages Business Competencies to Create Profitable Ventures with Exceptional ROI"
"Account Executive Delivering Revenue Growth Through Strategic Relationship Building"
3 - Tell Your Whole Story.
Most job hunters are able to spout figures and facts about their achievements, but it's the story behind these accomplishments that will add weight to the resume.
Consider looking at your results in light of the C-A-R (Challenge-Action-Result) strategy, which asks you to describe the situation you faced at work (Challenge), what you did when faced with it (Action), and of course, the outcome (Result) that occurred.
The C-A-R formula is popular for a reason--these anecdotes can also form the basis for success stories that you can also use as a basis for your next interview.
4 - Carefully Format Your Presentation.
When creating a resume, it's important to differentiate yourself from both your direct competition, plus distinguish yourself from lower-level applicants--and this means that it is best to make your document DIFFERENT from all the others.
Searching the Internet for professional resume samples will show you that there are many choices for font, format, and graphics that give flair to a resume presentation.
Above all, refrain from using the classic Microsoft Word template for your resume. Doing so will make your qualifications blend in rather than stand out, and lay the foundation for poor results.
5 - Use Those Glowing References.
Got testimonials? If so, you're in good shape, as these form a key part of a successful personal brand.
Better yet, including this information on your resume will allow you to back up the stories you've told about your achievements.
Many professionals are able to use a quote or letter of reference as a striking addition to their resume, especially when it reflects what they've already noted about their skills and competencies.
If you don't have access to this information, be sure to seek out colleagues, supervisors, customers, and even suppliers as a source of positive feedback. Then, take a shorter version of the most powerful testimonial to use as an endorsement
As an example, a COO targeting a lateral move might be able to include a quote such as "Ted's resourcefulness and ingenuity are without equal. I have witnessed his ability to grow a startup into a maturing business and develop a multimillion-dollar venture in a difficult economic environment," from a corporate officer onto the resume--thereby verifying performance from a key reference source.
In summary, there ARE effective ways to develop a masterpiece resume. It's important to ensure that hiring authorities can quickly cut to the heart of your qualifications--and consider you for prime opportunities that closely match your talents.
Click here for resume writing help that can make a difference.
Comment Question: What part of this article was most helpful to you? Can you think of any resume writing tips yourself? Comment below!
The best recruiters out there pride themselves on being able to find you, not the other way around. So what if they haven’t called yet? Instead of calling them and coming across as desperate, do your best to get on their radar by following these 7 tips. These methods will obviously work for being noticed by employers as well.
1. Get Active on LinkedIn
OK, no surprise here but LinkedIn is where recruiters hang out all day and they always keep an eye on the front page feed. So set yourself up on LinkedIn, pimp your profile, get active in groups and discussions so you get noticed. Get recommendations from heavy hitters in your industry and you will get straight on the recruiter radar. Ensure that your profile communicates that you are open for suggestions.
2. Get Active on Twitter
Recruiters love Twitter as they can spray out their new roles to the market. Finding job opportunities on Twitter is very swift and takes very little effort. Follow the recruiters you know have the positions you want, by searching for your skill + recruiter + your location. Start adding value to them by doing some retweeting of their tweets, help them out with potential referrals etc. Before you know it, they will check out your online bio and see if you are keen on a new position as well. This requires you to have an employee friendly Twitter profile, clearly stating what you do and a link to your online bio somewhere.
3. Write and get read
Everyone likes to write but very few get round to it and publish anything. With the advances of technology, it’s never been easier to reach out so embrace this to the fullest. You can write an article in your favorite industry periodical, a letter to the editor of the local newspaper, a post on your company blog or your own blog. The key here is to write something that will get read by the right people (in this case recruiters). Ensure that you are credited with your name, title and company at the end of your piece to make it easy for the recruiter to look you up.
4. Speak and get heard
Next time you go to an industry event, try to secure a speaking slot either as giving a speech or just participating in an open forum, whatever it takes to get listed in the event’s directory. Recruiters are known to sneak in to these functions and to make contact with prolific people in the industry; public speaking is a brilliant way of being included on the hit list.
5. Get Referred
Being referred by an authority in your industry is a great endorsement for you. Even if you are not exactly what the recruiter is looking for, they will be interested in you have come recommended by somebody they respect. It’s easier than you think to get referred as recruiters pester their candidates asking for referrals all the time. If you make it known to the right people that you are looking around, they will be very happy to tell the recruiter as it gives them future kudos. To make yourself seem more sought after, pretend that the referral was made without your knowledge and you “weren’t actively looking for job, but will listen to what they have to offer”.
6. Online Resume
This is an optional one and not exactly a secret. Some would say don’t list yourself or upload your resume with online job sites like Monster, as you may come across as desperate. Other will say it’s the quickest way to get found. If you do it, be prepared to be bombarded with calls and emails from myriads of recruiters scouring online resources every day. To avoid irrelevant job offers, a good tip is to get the right keywords in your resume as it will be indexed and searched. And do activate the anonymous name and contact details setting allowing you to respond only to the relevant enquires.
7. Recruit Internally
Get yourself involved in the internal recruitment at your company. You will be working with HR and they will introduce you to the recruitment partners they use. This is very sensitive for the search partner but if you send out the right signals, the sooner or later the recruiter will probe you on your career. Sometimes they can actually help you direct; sometimes it will have to be more indirect (involving a 3rd party) due to legal implications. The point is that once one recruiter knows and rates you, they will be able to help you in one way or another. Recruiting internally is also very useful to for understanding exactly how recruiters operate and how the HR hiring process works in general.
Please share your thoughts on these tips in the comments, which have worked for you and can you add any more?
LinkedIn is the place to not only find others but also to be found as a job seeker. And that is why you need a LinkedIn Profile that not only helps you get found but also will entice people to contact you once they view your profile. I see many people making fundamental mistakes as job seekers that actually work against them in this aspect. If you’re going to spend time putting together a LinkedIn profile, I assume you want to maximize your chances of being contacted by the right people, right?
With that in mind, I have created an easy-to-understand list of a few things to check for with my reasoning. Just like any website owner, you want your LinkedIn profile to stick out and be found! As a job applicant, you want the same thing, so read on.
Enjoy my LinkedIn Profile Tips!
1. Not Displaying Your Personal Photo
It all really comes down to having social media credibility or not. There are too many fake profiles on LinkedIn, so you want to show that you are real. If you have taken the time to complete your LinkedIn profile, why wouldn’t you display your photo? It just raises too many potential questions. And company logos or photos of pets obviously have no value here
2. LinkedIn Profile Headline is Not Branded Enough
See that space underneath your name? That is your “Professional” or Profile Headline. It will appear in search results next to your name, as well as next to any questions you ask or answer. It is, in essence, your elevator speech in a few words. Are you just putting your title and company name here? Don’t! This is the place where you need to appeal to anyone who finds you in a search result to reach out and look at your profile. Your Profile Headline is the single most important piece of real estate on your LinkedIn Profile, and you need to brand it as such. This really ties into personal branding as a job applicant.
3. LinkedIn Status Update is Not Appealing
This is that “What are you working on?” box that I refer to as a “Status Update.” Assuming someone finds you and looks at your profile, chances are they are going to be looking at what you write here simply because that it appears just underneath your Headline Profile. What do you write here? Many people in transition note that they are looking for a job here. What do you use your LinkedIn Status Update for? It is part of your branding exercise, and it should be something appealing that will both inform the reader of your latest activities as well as hopefully add to, not subtract from, your LinkedIn Brand.
4. Don’t List Enough Companies You Worked At Or Schools Attended
One of the ways you are found on LinkedIn is through searches on company names or schools. If you are only listing your current company and/or not even displaying your college, you are missing out on potentially being found. Check this out: I did my Junior year of college abroad in Beijing nearly 20 years ago. I had been out of touch with all of the 15 or so Americans that were there that year. Two of those 15 have found me on LinkedIn! And another high school friend who I lost touch with found me this week on LinkedIn. They would not have found me had I not listed my Junior year abroad school and high school name on my profile. Companies are even more important in that there are potentially more colleagues that may be trying to find you or recruiters trying to network with you! You may be missing out!
5. Not Having Three LinkedIn Recommendations
This is the same as not having your personal photo on your LinkedIn profile. Why? When you sign up for LinkedIn and first fill out your profile, LinkedIn recommends that you write three LinkedIn Recommendations. You need to do this in order to get your LinkedIn Profile to 100% Completion. Job postings on LinkedIn similarly require three LinkedIn Recommendations. These recommendations can only work in your favor, so why don’t you have at least three of them?
6. Too Few Connections
This is a topic for debate, but too many people have too few connections on their LinkedIn Profile, and thus are not getting found. The idea is simple: when you do a search you will see results from your network. And vice-versa. So the more connections you have the more search results you will appear in pure and simple. Combining this is the fact that Windmill Networking is about finding value in online networking with people that you don’t know. So what are you waiting for?
7. Not Listing Three Websites
LinkedIn gives you the ability to list three websites on your profile. Are you taking advantage of it? Do you have a Twitter profile or other social networking profile that you want to advertise? Company website? A blog that you enjoy reading? Anything that you would want associated with yourself should be listed here. You will be adding to the search engine optimization of your own websites just by the fact that you list them here!
8. Not Claiming Your Personal URL
When you sign up to LinkedIn you are provided a public URL which you can then include on your email signature or wherever else you want to lead people to your LinkedIn Profile from. You can customize this when you edit your profile. Claiming your name here is one of the first things you should have done on LinkedIn. For instance, I can memorize my LinkedIn Profile URL, which is www.linkedin.com/in/nealschaffer, because I customized the last text to “nealschaffer.” If you have a common name, make sure you claim your LinkedIn URL before others do! As a job applicant you can definitely stand out with this little tool.
9. No Branded Summary Rich with Keywords
Assuming that someone finds you in a search result, likes your Profile Headline, and isn’t scared away by your Status Update, the next most important part of your profile will be your Summary. This is the chance to fully brand yourself as a job seeker and ensure that any keywords that you want associated with yourself are found here. You also want to write something compelling, just as you would in the Executive Summary of your resume. This is your stage to tell the world who you are and what you can do! Utilize it to your fullest advantage!
10. No Job Descriptions
Even if you’ve listed positions at companies that you previously held, it means nothing if you don’t have any job descriptions. Job descriptions provide you the perfect opportunity to pepper your profile with keywords that will help you get found. Why aren’t you taking advantage of this?
Did I miss any that you’d like to share? Let me know! And if you didn’t make any of the above mistakes, congratulations! Your LinkedIn Profile is in good shape
LinkedIn is a great resource to find jobs online if used effectively. However, many people do not know how to use it - especially new college graduates! Watch this video to find out how to network effectively, create an attention-grabbing profile, search for relevant jobs, and use LinkedIn as a job-hunting resource the way it is meant to be used.
People who write job advice columns for a living make their living by writing job advice columns. Consequently paying their rent requires them to grind out a never-ending series of columns with chipper titles like “8 ½ Secrets Of Job Hunting Success," "How To Chose Between Multiple Job Offers," and "Secrets Of Negotiating A Really High Salary." Usually these are only tenuously connected to reality (especially the multiple job offer and salary negotiation ones). Columns on why you didn’t get hired usually include nifty factoids like “because you stuck a pencil in the hiring manager’s eye.”
Not really helpful because they discuss job hunting faux pas that you are highly unlikely to make like “don’t show up for the interview naked”.
It’s high time for the real reasons you didn’t get hired to come out. This will help you make sense of the fact that after months-and-months of job hunting, and numerous interviews for jobs you were perfect for, you’re still looking.
The Hiring Manager Already Made The Decision
Often the hiring manager already knows who he or she wants for the job, and has it wired up. They’re just going through the posting and interview Kabuki theater because their HR department requires due diligence. HR may or may not be in on the scam, but either way nobody has the moral courage or even the common decency to tell you that the whole exercise is a complete waste of your time because the decision was made before the job was even posted.
HAL Didn’t Like Your Resume
HAL 9000 (the fictional computer villain in the movie 2001 A Space Odyssey), is now in charge of screening most resumes and online applications, and he definitely didn’t like yours. So he didn’t pass it through to the next step. HAL uses completely random criteria that nobody knows what they are so there’s no point asking or trying to figure it out, besides the HR people like their secrets (it makes them feel important). And once HAL rejects you for a particular job opening, he makes an indelible note to himself to never pass you along for any other job.
"Open the Interview Room Doors HAL."
"I'm sorry Dave, I can't do that."
Ken And Barbie Didn’t Like Your Resume Either
Your application’s next stop after HAL is Ken and Barbie, the HR flacks. Ken and Barbie take themselves very seriously as gatekeepers, and will pass only those candidates who in their judgment will be a good fit for the position. Since Ken and Barbie know screw-all about the position, and have never actually managed, run, or accomplished anything substantial themselves, they haven’t a clue of who would actually be a good fit, so getting past them is essentially random.
The HR folks have a special secret tool they use for vetting resumes. Check it out:
You’re too old, too young, black, white, brown, straight, gay, male, female, fat, thin, religious, irreligious, etc. Yes of course this is mostly illegal, but easily gotten around by nobody actually saying anything about it. Or the company may have a particular democraphic niche they’re looking to fill, and you’re not it. One of the ways you can tell this happened to you is if you’re told to be ready for two hours of interviews, and you get gonged about 15 minutes in for no apparent reason (like, for example, stabbing someone in the eye with a pencil). They took one look at you and when it was clear you weren’t who they were looking for, they decided to skip the charade.
Wrong "Fit"
The hiring manager isn't really looking for someone to do a job, she or he is looking for a new Best Friend Forever or someone they can "go to lunch with." You didn't share their interest in Twilight, or golf, or whatever so you're out.
You’re Too Competent
It is a well known fact (that I just made up) that some managers only hire people who are less assertive and less competent than they are. It helps them feel better about themselves, and gives them a bunch of nonassertive nudniks to boss around.
You’re Not "Qualified"
You may be the most objectively qualified person on the planet for the job, but that doesn't mean you're "Qualified." When the hiring manager has already made the decision, if you're the wrong flavor, or if you're the wrong fit it's astonishing how unqualified you are. Consider this interchange:
Interviewer: "Do you have experience with Kumquat?" Applicant: "Yes, I have 8 years of continuous experience with Kumquat. I was a beta tester before it was first released, and now I'm using Kumquat 3.0." Interviewer: "Aww, that's too bad, we're looking for someone with experience with Kumquat 3.1." Clearly the interviewee wasn't "Qualified."
The Company Isn’t Really Serious About Filling The Position
The hiring manager has been complaining about needing another headcount for months, years maybe. Upper Management finally gets tired of listening to the complaints and gives the hiring manager permission to recruit for the position. But then somehow, after hundreds of hours are sunk in the process, Upper Management never quite gets around to actually green-lighting the hire.
Or, the company has an ongoing "Cattle Call" where they continually troll the metro area looking for the absolutely cheapest people they can find. The work environment is awful stemming from their corporate practice of treating staff like toilet paper, use once, flush. So they're always on the lookout for a new batch of suckers, er prospective employees. If the hiring process has inexplicably convoluted hoops you have to jump through, it may be they're just testing the level of crap you'll put up with, or the level of desperation to which you've sunk. Either way give these folks a pass.
The World Is Made Of Snow
One nonsensical specious irrational crazytown reason is as good as another. Maybe it was unusual sunspot activity. Barometric pressure too high or too low. There was a lion outside. You were wearing a striped tie. You weren't wearing a striped tie. You used black ink on your application. You used blue ink on your application. You get the idea.
And The Secret Is?
So, you ask, what’s the secret? How do I escape these circles of job-hunting hell? You don’t. To find a job, you have to eat a cubic yard of manure. There’s no way around it, you just have to grab your spoon and dig in.
You can, however, protect your time by refusing to be abused. If Ken, Barbie, or the hiring manager are jerking you around, don’t be afraid to drop out of the process if you strongly intuit it’s really going nowhere. Decide in advance what your limits are. (I won’t travel out of town for an interview unless my travel and lodging are reimbursed. This may have cost me a few interviews, but I’m certain it hasn’t cost me any jobs).
Protect your sanity by remembering it really isn’t about you. As long as you covered the fundamentals (shoes shined, teeth brushed, don't stick anyone in the eye with a pencil) there was nothing more you could do. Eventually the law of averages has to play out in your favor and you'll get that coveted offer for a job paying merely 40% less than your previous gig.
