1. If you have spent the last eight hours posting for jobs online, you have wasted seven hours and 50 minutes.

It can be tempting to apply to jobs online. So many positions are listed, and so many appear to be a fit. But while you are hitting the send button, so are 500+ other people. Job postings represent the open market; the jobs everyone gets to see. Most people source their jobs through the hidden job market, the ones where opportunities are shared through close contacts and conversations. Shift your strategy and spend most of your time networking for job leads, and limit your time applying to jobs online.

2. Just because you did it doesn’t mean it belongs on your resume.

Many people’s resumes read like a laundry list of everything they’ve ever done. A resume should be targeted to the needs of an employer and prove where you can add value. The employee recognition award you received for a Y2K conversion back in 1999 probably isn’t going to cut it with an employer in 2016. Instead, tell stories of initiatives you are involved in today that are helping to move your company, industry or profession forward.

3. Don’t tell me about the things you were expected to do; write about the things you did that no one ever dreamed possible. Most resumes describe tasks that hundreds of others perform in their jobs every day. What catches the hiring manager’s attention is the value you brought to that job task. For example, if you are an operations executive, don’t just write that you ran a call center. Instead, explain how you transformed its performance, implemented metrics to improve accountability and the customer experience, or saved money or time.

4. If no one returns your calls requesting a networking meeting, you are leaving the wrong message.

Many people approach their contacts by saying something like, “If you know anyone who is hiring, please let me know.” It’s highly unlikely that your contact knows someone who is hiring for a position with your skill set right now. A better message would be to say, “I’m in a career transition and I would love to pick your brain to learn more about your company, the industry and trends in the profession. I wanted to reach out to you because I trust your opinion and value your advice.” By asking for information rather than a job, you are more likely to get a response and initiate a conversation. Many will be flattered that you asked and will reciprocate with whatever help they can offer.

5. People who don’t think online networking is relevant to their job search will become irrelevant to the hiring managers who think it is.

Many job seekers are still reluctant to create an online digital footprint. But it’s becoming more difficult to substantiate being an expert in your profession when there is no online proof of your thought leadership. LinkedIn will be the social media tool of choice for many professionals — but don’t just create a shell of a profile. Optimize your professional image with proof of your accomplishments via strong stories of success, keywords, the LinkedIn publishing platform, and even case studies and videos if appropriate.

6. People think they should talk in general terms about career successes, but you build trust with interviewers by talking about specifics.

The goal of the interview is to build trust and engagement. This is best done by showcasing stories about business problems you have solved that are relevant to the organization, not by focusing on the typical personality clichés. Telling the interviewer how you influenced the entire senior management team to fund a multimillion-dollar technology upgrade that in turn protected them from a cyber-security breach will be much more memorable than simply telling him you are a good communicator.

7. When hiring managers ask you in an interview what your weakness is, they already know.

The goal is to figure out what they believe is the gap in your candidacy and address it head on. Perhaps you lack experience in a particular industry or don’t have the MBA they say is preferred. Show that while you don’t have a certain qualification, you have other skills that are more relevant and transferable. For example, an HR professional who doesn’t have hospital experience and is interviewing for a role in a hospital can focus on the similarities within the HR function that transcend industries. The candidate who lacks an MBA can show how they’ve solved business problems that are frequently solved by candidates who have the degree.

A job search is like a marathon. You can’t cut corners on the preparation and expect to cross the finish line in record time. Everyone who is in a job search wants the silver bullet. There isn’t one. Job searching, even under the best of circumstances, is a lot of work. Be prepared for a lot of rejection, but also for a lot of kindness and support along the way.

 

Originally published at forbes.com

As we’re growing up, we’re often asked what we want to be. As small children our answer is obviously always incredibly basic and typically influenced by the careers we are frequently exposed to: doctor, police officer, trash collector, etc. Even after we’ve reached adulthood sometimes our ideas of career opportunities can be pretty narrow.

For many, it isn’t until we reach college (and sometimes after) and begin exploring the realities of different careers that the job opportunity door blows open. We suddenly realize that there is so much more to becoming a doctor, a scientist, or even a lawyer than we previously thought; there are specialties within specialties. It is around this point when many of us acknowledge there are multitudes of ways in which to achieve projected career goals.

Same Dog, New Tricks

To elaborate this point with a medical example, the majority of us tend to think broadly of the medical field as limited to doctors and nurses. However, this is certainly not the case. Healthcare facilities have administrative staff, HR personnel, maintenance crews, medical technicians, and more. Even doctors and nurses can vary widely based upon their specialties which can range from pediatrics, to neuroscience, to gerontology.

Depending upon the specialty, the lines between doctors and nurses can even begin to blur. In fact, the rift between doctors and nurses has gotten progressively smaller over the past few decades. For this reason, if your career goal is to help people with health conditions have a higher quality of life, limiting yourself to only becoming a doctor could greatly reduce your career opportunities.

Lines of Gray

By delving even further into the nuances of all the opportunities to help people within a medical career, you soon realize that even choosing to become a nurse still leaves a great number of options on the table. For instance, if you prefer a fast-pace lifestyle where quick decisions are key, you may prefer becoming an emergency room nurse. If you are more drawn to working with a specific condition you might focus on becoming something like an oncological nurse. There are even options available to those that would like autonomy to develop treatments for patients as a nurse practitioner.

Often times, we are unaware of the many different career choices out there when we enter the job market. Failing to see these lines of gray can limit the types of jobs we search for and apply to, which in turn can make finding a career we love more difficult. This can be the case in nearly every industry if we look properly.

Freedom to Choose

Sometimes finding an alternative path to your career goals can have a number of additional benefits. For instance, some physician’s assistants and nurse practitioners make almost as much as normal doctors. However, these two alternative careers have the added benefit of fewer years of higher education and far fewer student loans.

Additionally, these alternative careers may have more flexible schedules that suit your lifestyle a bit better than a traditional nine to five. They may offer slightly different and unique opportunities to you as an employee as well.

Becoming aware of the vast array of differing career opportunities is a great way to find alternative ways in which to meet your career goals. Frequently, we are unaware of a number of job openings that are available that meet these goals because we are unsure of the variety of similar positions out there. As you step into the job market be sure to keep an open eye for these potential alternative careers.

 

 

Originally published at http://blog.sparkhire.com/2016/05/15/alternative-ways-to-reach-your-career-goals/

Many job seekers fail to see the benefits in building a strong relationship with a recruiter. However, a recruiter can be an integral piece in the hiring process when it comes to the hiring manager’s final decision.

There are 3 reasons why you should be upfront with your recruiter throughout the interview process.

1. You will get free coaching.

Let’s face it, recruiters are experts when it comes to interviewing and hiring. If you’ve found a good recruiter, you will have access to a plethora of interviewing advice. Guidance on interview attire, behavior, as well as follow up advice are important tips that can help you land the job.

Knowing when it’s appropriate to ask certain questions throughout the interview process is something that many job seekers struggle with. Your recruiter should know and advise you on the appropriate questions to ask throughout the interview process.

In addition, if the hiring manager has a sweet spot when it comes to a certain skill-set, the recruiter will know and will be able to inform you of this prior to your interview.

Also, do not be hesitant to disclose previous problems in your work history. When you have a previous employment issue from your past, your recruiter will be able to help you properly position this with the client so there are no surprises down the road.

The ways in which a recruiter can help out throughout the interview process are numerous. Who wouldn’t want to take advantage of free interview coaching from an expert in the field?

2. The recruiter often has access to the hidden job market.

Maybe your recruiter doesn’t have an immediate job that fits all your requirements right now. However, that doesn’t mean that you should push the recruiter off and not explain your key desires.

Recruiters quite often have access to job opportunities before they ever hit the job boards. Having a shot at a job that hasn’t even been posted yet is a huge benefit and can put you miles ahead of other talent in your field.

3. Your recruiter can influence the hiring decision.

When it comes down to it, the recruiter actually works for the hiring manager. However, don’t misunderstand what this means for you. If you are a good fit for the position, you definitely want the recruiter on your side.

Hiring managers partner with recruiters because they rely on the recruiter’s assessment when it comes to the right candidate. If your recruiter has your back, she can influence the hiring manager in making a final decision as well as an appropriate offer that can guarantee a signed agreement between you and the hiring manager.

By being upfront with your recruiter in the beginning, she will know how to position your interest and requirements to the hiring manager in order to provide a win-win situation for both you and the hiring manager.

 

Originally published at http://blog.sparkhire.com/2015/12/06/3-reasons-you-should-be-upfront-with-your-recruiter/