career-related.com

The Holiday Job Hunting Season
copyright (c) 2007 by Kevin Donlin

The conventional job-search wisdom used to be that, if you
weren’t hired by late October, you were out of luck until
after the first of the year.

But times have changed.

Today, there are plenty of jobs to be had between Thanksgiving
and the middle of January, according to human resource expert
Susan M. Heathfield.
“During the holiday season, you enjoy reduced competition for
jobs and easier access to decision makers who are actually in
the office,” says Heathfield.

This is due, in part, to the global talent shortage, which has
made it harder for employers to attract top talent. “If good
candidates show up during the holiday season, we’re finding
that management will take the time to see them. In the past,
they might have told them to come back in January,” says
Michael Jalbert, President of executive search firm MRINetwork.

Jalbert gives three reasons not to slack off in your job search
during the holidays:

1) Departments are often under pressure to fill openings before
year’s end to secure their remaining budget and headcount
allocations.

2) While the number of advertised positions tends to decrease
during the holidays, those that do appear are often
high-priority jobs that must be filled quickly.

3) You will likely face less competition because many other
job seekers have taken a break from their search.

With this in mind, here are two ways to connect with your next
job during the holiday season …
1) Party with a Plan
There are more parties and social events during the holidays
than usual, which means more opportunities for you to make new
contacts and renew old ones.

Since you never know which conversation will produce your next
job lead, you should attend as many events as you can reasonably
fit into your calendar, according to Heathfield.

“You don’t want to be obnoxious about your job search and
aggravate friends and relatives. But, do prepare a brief
statement that tells people you are looking for a job and the
kind of job you seek,” suggests Heathfield.

Carry business cards, along with paper and a pen for taking
notes. After every networking conversation, jot down the key
points, then enter them into some kind of database at the end
of the evening, for follow-up later.
Whether it’s a box of 3×5 cards or a $500 PDA, use whatever
tools you need to manage your networking contacts.
2) Send a Card with a Difference
We all get greeting cards in December. For most of us, the charm
wears off after about the first 20 or so. That means, if you
hope to stand out by sending a holiday card to hiring managers
and other folks who are inundated with mail, you probably won’t.

So, why not send a Happy New Year’s card instead? After all,
when’s the last time you got one of those in the mail?

Send your new year’s cards on December 31, to arrive on or
about January 2.
Send them to hiring managers and well-connected friends. And use
real cards, like those sold at www.Hallmark.com, with real
stamps. Because emailing a greeting card is about as effective
as emailing a steak sandwich.
One final bit of encouragement for job seekers: some industry
sectors could see an up-tick in hiring in December, according to
Jalbert. “Construction companies in Southern California, for
example, are just starting to staff up to rebuild the $1.5
billion in homes that were destroyed in this summer’s fires,”
he says.

Jalbert also sees strong demand for such fields as chemical
and mechanical engineering, and information technology, as the
U.S. dollar continues to drop, causing jobs from Europe and
Canada to filter into the United States.

So if you’re looking for a new job, don’t take a holiday from
your search just because it’s December. Get out, get busy, get
connected, and get hired.
Kevin Donlin is President of Guaranteed Resumes and the creator
of GetHiredNow.TV. Since 1996, he has provided job search
assistance to nearly 10,000 people. Author of “51 Ways to Find
a Job Fast — Guaranteed,” Kevin has been interviewed by USA
Today, The Wall Street Journal, CBS Radio and others.
His latest product, The Instant Job Search System, is available
at http://www.career-related.com/instant-job-search.html

4 Ways to Get More Done in Your Job Search
copyright (c) 2007 by Kevin Donlin

It’s been said that time isn’t everything, it’s the only thing.

That applies to your job hunt, especially. Because every day
spent in the wrong job (or in no job) can seem like an eternity
to you and your family.

As we get ready to begin a new year, here are four tips to help
you save time and get more done every day, so you can find your
next job faster …

#1: Plan Every Day
“A lifetime is composed of days, strung together into weeks,
months, and years,” wrote Earl Nightingale. “A successful life
is nothing more than a lot of successful days put together.
As such, every day counts.”

To make every day count in your job search — and in your life
– it’s best to plan ahead, so you’re doing the right things,
at the right time, in the right order.

Most folks don’t, unfortunately.

If you ask any 10 people to show you their daily to-do list,
only one or two could produce one. And it’s no coincidence that
only about 10-20% of people ever achieve real career success.

So, to join the top 20% in your field, whether you’re employed
now or not, the first thing to do is to plan every day in
advance. It need take only 10 minutes, but it could easily save
you one or two hours a day.

Start by jotting down the five career-related things you must
do tomorrow.
Be specific. Don’t write,
“Find job leads.” Write, “Find 3 job leads.”

Then …

#2: Prioritize Your Tasks
Once you determine the five things to do tomorrow, rank them in
order of importance to your job search. This should take no
more than a few minutes.

It doesn’t matter whether you use a Day Planner, a sheet of
paper or a PDA, just jot down and number the five things you
need to do tomorrow, in order of importance.

Tip: It’s a good idea to plan and prioritize your tasks the
night before, so you can “sleep on it.” About one hour before
bed, take a few minutes to review your plans for tomorrow, then
put the list away and do other things.
When you wake up the next morning, you may find, as I have many
times, that your subconscious mind has worked out the answer to
a problem while you were sleeping. Try it tonight!

#3: Work on Top Priorities First
First thing tomorrow morning, take out your to-do list and
look at item #1.
Start working on it and keep at it until you finish. Then
work on #2, and so on, until it’s time to stop for the day.

According to Earl Nightingale: “Don’t worry if you’ve only
finished one or two; the others can wait. If you can’t finish
them all by this method, you could not have finished them with
any other method. And without some system, you’d probably take
10 times as long to finish them and might not even have them
in the order of their importance.”

Sounds simple, doesn’t it? The best ideas usually are.

(Here’s where I might lose readers. You may think, “This is
too simple. I’ve heard this before.” Have you? Fine. But …
are you doing this? Unless you have a better system, why not?)

#4: Plan for the Long Haul
It’s not enough to plan the days and weeks that make up your
job search. You should also plan for the months and years that
make up your career.

One way is to set up a system to collect and manage the
information that accumulates over the course of your working
life. “You want to plan not just for this job search, but for
the ones that will certainly happen in the future,” says Jason
Alba, creator of JibberJobber.com.

While it might be nice to remember the names of everyone in
your sixth grade class, it would be really, REALLY nice to
remember the names of everyone you networked with, say, two
years ago, when you last looked for a job.

Contact management software can help “connect the dots between
people you’ve met and things you’ve done,” says Alba, who
designed JibberJobber.com to solve the problem of lost
opportunities that plagues most job seekers at some point.

“I tried managing my job search in a single spreadsheet that
grew until it became unmanageable, and then I started missing
appointments and losing details,” says Alba.

If an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, surely a
bottle of planning is worth a keg of time. (A mangled analogy,
yes, but you get the idea.)

To get the most out of the minutes, hours and days that make up
your job search, take a few minutes tonight to plan for tomorrow
and the long haul after that. You can then string together
enough good days, weeks and months to create a truly successful
career.

Kevin Donlin is President of Guaranteed Resumes and the creator
of GetHiredNow.TV. Since 1996, he has provided job search
assistance to nearly 10,000 people. Author of “51 Ways to Find
a Job Fast — Guaranteed,” Kevin has been interviewed by USA
Today, The Wall Street Journal, CBS Radio and others.
His latest product, The Instant Job Search System, is available
at http://www.career-related.com/instant-job-search.html

copyright (c) 2007 by Kevin Donlin
Tell Employers What They Want to Hear

Finding a job can be a lot like running for public office …
without the lying, pandering or attack ads, that is.

To succeed in both arenas, you need to tell people what they
want to hear, then convince them you’re the one who can
deliver as promised.

When it comes to telling employers what they want to hear, you
can never go wrong if you emphasize “You-ability” in everything
you do.

I’ve written before about Elmer Wheeler and the concept of
“You-ability” he put forth in his 1937 book, “Tested Sentences
That Sell.”

Wheeler tested 105,000 word combinations on 19 million people
over 10 years, to find the phrases that worked best in retail
and door-to-door selling. (Know this: If it’s possible to sell
vacuum cleaners door-to-door during the Depression, it’s be
possible to sell an employer on hiring you today.)

One of Wheeler’s findings, on page 208, will help you find a
job faster.

It’s this: “Don’t think so much about what you want to say as
about what the prospect wants to hear — then the response you
get will more often be the one you are aiming for.”

The prospect in this case is the employer, of course. And
Wheeler’s advice is right on target. Because, if you think
first — before opening your mouth — about what an employer
wants to hear, the words you need to say will become obvious.

Let’s look at how this thinking will affect your resumes,
cover letters and job interviewing …

Resume example — instead of writing this sort of piffle:
Ability to set realistic goals with staff, supervise and
evaluate performance, build cohesion and maintain motivation
while managing projects.
… you should write this, which is what employers want to
hear, because it’s chock full of specific, convincing detail:
Proven project management skills. Experienced leading teams of
up to 27 employees, with perfect record of managing 88 projects
to on-time, on-budget completion since 2003.
Cover letter example — instead of writing rubbish like this:
Dear Sir or Madam,

In today’s market, employers are seeking the most qualified
candidate to bridge the gap between what is needed and what it
takes to get the job done. My resume reflects experience and
diversity, including customer service skills in diversified
industries that have permitted me …

… write something with meat on it, like this:
Dear Mr. Jones,

I’m applying for a job where my customer service skills will
increase profits for you. Since 1999, I’ve saved an average of
14% — up to $37,500 per year — for three companies, by
enhancing their customer service departments.

Please consider the following …
See the difference?

Now for the interview. When you say what the hiring manager
wants to hear, you almost always get a job offer. But how do
you know what to say? It’s simple. Ask!

You see, in every job interview — often near the end — the
hiring authority will say: “Do you have any questions?” This
is your opening! Ask: “What is the #1 thing you want the person
you hire to do in this job?”

This prompts employers to tell you exactly what they want to
hear. All you have to do is match your skills and experience
to their #1 desire!

Let me illustrate with two examples …

The hiring manager might say, “We want the person we hire to
hit the ground running and put at least 100 leads in our
pipeline within 30 days.”

Ideally, you answer: “I can do that. In fact, I’ve done it
twice in the last two years. It’s mentioned on my resume, but
let me tell you in detail how I can do this for you ….”

Or, the hiring manager might say: “We want someone adaptable
whom we can train quickly and who will work well with our team.”

You could answer: “I can do that. When I completed a six-month
internship at ABC Corp. in San Diego, I had to adapt to a new
city, master new accounting software and start assisting their
client service team in only three days. Here’s a letter of
recommendation from my supervisor about how well I did that ….”

Of course, for you to perform smoothly in the interview, you
must do two things beforehand. First, know yourself and your
skills. Second, practice matching your experience to the
requirements you think employers will have in mind. (If you’re
not sure what they want to hear, look hard at the job posting,
if you applied in answer to one. Hiring managers put a lot of
effort into writing job postings that highlight their top
desires in a candidate.)
When you do emphasize “You-ability” in your resumes, cover
letters and job interviews, you will almost certainly get
hired faster for the job you really want.

Kevin Donlin is President of Guaranteed Resumes and the creator
of GetHiredNow.TV. Since 1996, he has provided job search
assistance to nearly 10,000 people. Author of “51 Ways to Find
a Job Fast — Guaranteed,” Kevin has been interviewed by USA
Today, The Wall Street Journal, CBS Radio and others.
His latest product, The Instant Job Search System, is available
at http://www.career-related.com/instant-job-search.html

copyright (c) 2007 by Kevin Donlin

To find your next job, you goal is to meet the right people and
convince them to hire you.

It’s just that simple.

Best part: There are more ways to meet hiring authorities today
than ever before.

For example, want ads used to be found only in newspapers. Now
they’re now online, too. And you can network your way into an
employer using free Web sites like Linkedin.com, a route to
employment that was inconceivable 15 years ago.

But not every job-search idea is new. Sometimes old methods
work just as well.

To illustrate, here are two ways to find a job: one is at
least 71 years old, and the other, about 71 months …
1) Something Old: Create a Mastermind Group
The idea of a “mastermind” is found in the book, “Think and
Grow Rich,” written by Napoleon Hill in 1937. It’s a
brainstorming and problem-solving technique used by Thomas
Edison, Henry Ford, Andrew Carnegie and others, to create some
of history’s greatest inventions and biggest fortunes.

And it can help you find a new job, too.

Here’s how it works. A mastermind is a group of likeminded
people who meet, once or twice a month for an hour or two, to
discuss and solve each other’s problems.

You’ve heard the phrase, “Two heads are better than one.”
Well, a mastermind group involves three, four or five heads.
Each person has a few minutes to state their problem. In your
case, yours is your job search.
Then, the group offers suggestions in a free-for-all discussion.
Your brainpower gets multiplied many times this way — the
insights, ideas and answers you’ll receive may astonish you.

Note: This does not mean you should join other unemployed folks
in a local job club. Job clubs have their place, but they can
sometimes turn into sob sessions. Instead, your mastermind
should be made up of people who have jobs they enjoy. This way,
their positive attitudes about work will rub off and encourage
you.

Simply put, a mastermind, organized and led by you, will help
solve your job-search problems. To learn more, Google these two
words: Mastermind Hill.
2) Something New: Create a Blog
The word “blog” is short for “weblog,” defined as a frequent,
chronological publication of personal thoughts and Web links.
While blogs typically function as a kind of diary, they can
also get you hired.

In fact, blogs are being called “the new resumes” by some
employment experts. So it behooves you to learn more about
this method of getting your name before hiring managers.

To get the facts, I spoke to Chris Russell, an author, blogging
expert, and (naturally) creator of the blog,
Secretsofthejobhunt.com.

“Blogs are a way to get found by potential employers online.
Think of a blog as an extended version of your resume,” says
Russell, who points out that anyone can create a blog using
free Web-based tools, such as Blogger.com or Wordpress.com.

Blogging is especially useful if you’re looking for a job in
IT or any field in which you must prove your communication skills.

What should go in your blog? “You can approach this a couple of
ways. You could use it as an application for one job at one
company — write relevant things about the employer and then
send a link to the hiring manager. Or, you can blog in a more
general way, to position yourself as an expert in your field,”
says Russell.

When blogging, aim to differentiate yourself from others.
Let your personality and expertise shine through. But be smart.
Don’t write negatively about past employers or include stories
of how you got tear-gassed at last weekend’s keg party. “A blog
posting is forever because there are sites that archive them,”
says Russell.

Think of your blog as a new puppy, requiring plenty of care,
nurturing — and patience. “Post entries to your blog on a
regular basis and understand that it takes time to build an
audience,” advises Russell.

The best ways to promote your blog — and get found by
employers — include participating in and linking to other
blogs. Also, it pays to give out your blog address as you would
a business card. Put it on your resume, and email it to friends,
colleagues and others.

To learn more, and read blogging success stories that should
motivate you, visit Secretsofthejobhunt.com and Blogforjobs.com.

Now, go out and make your own luck!

Kevin Donlin is President of Guaranteed Resumes and the creator
of GetHiredNow.TV. Since 1996, he has provided job search
assistance to nearly 10,000 people. Author of “51 Ways to Find
a Job Fast — Guaranteed,” Kevin has been interviewed by USA
Today, The Wall Street Journal, CBS Radio and others.
His latest product, The Instant Job Search System, is available
at http://www.career-related.com/instant-job-search.html

copyright (c) 2007 by Kevin Donlin
You read a lot these days about how depressed the average person
is about the labor market, or that the average person can take
up to 17 weeks to find a new job.

But where is it written that YOU have to be average? When did
Congress pass that law?

Good news: You don’t have to be average. Thankfully, this is
one area that the politicians haven’t decided to “help” us
with (yet).

Instead, you can get radically better results in your job
search — starting today — by doing two simple things
differently.

Here’s how .
1) Think Differently
Let’s face it: Most of the news you read, hear or see on
TV is bad.

And most of it has little to do with your life, if you think
about it. For example, what can you do with the “news” that a
car bomb has exploded in Iraq or that a house was gutted by
fire on the other side of town? Nothing. Not one thing.

You could let all that bad news get you down, like most people
do. Or you could tune it out. You could think differently.

Here’s why.

No matter what the news — good or bad — every company wants
to increase revenues and profits. And every company wants to
control costs and save money.

If you can get in front of the right employer and show him or
her that you can either make or save more money than you’re
asking for in salary, that employer will either hire you for
an existing job or create a job for you.

Read that last paragraph again. It holds the key to every
successful job search!

And, to repeat, it doesn’t matter what the economy is doing,
or how much the talking heads on TV are bemoaning layoffs,
outsourcing, off-shoring, or any other economic “news.”
All that counts is your ability to do exactly four things:

1. choose a specific job you want to do;

2. choose a company you want to work for;

3. meet with a hiring authority at your target company;

4. demonstrate exactly how much money you can make or save for
 them.

It all starts when you refuse to go along with the crowd and
let outside events influence your inner attitude. In fact, you
may just start to laugh at bad economic news, because it can
cause other people to stop looking for jobs, leaving less
competition for you.
2) Act Differently
Once you start thinking differently and more opportunistically,
it’s easy to start acting differently and more effectively.

Here’s how one California man did just one thing differently
in his job search — and how it made the phone ring with
interview offers for the first time in months .

First, some background.

I’ve written before that you can pique employers’ curiosity
by writing them a letter in which you offer to send them a
report to help improve their business.

It need be no more than 2-3 pages, describing the best, most
valuable things you’ve done on the job, and their specific
value. (Google my article, “Can You Write a Simple Report?
You Can Get Hired” to learn more.)

One reader, Michael Schwab from Los Angeles, California, not
only read that advice, he acted on it. And he struck pay dirt.

Michael was smart. He took the time to ask his network of
contacts about the target company and learned enough about
their products to tailor a letter that got attention.

He says: “I wrote a letter yesterday offering to send a report
and got an email from the recruiter an hour later — they want
to interview me. In my original email, I proposed two options:
(1) helping with their existing product areas, and
(2) helping build out a new area of practice involving
different software products.”

So, next time, instead of sending a resume, why not try
something different? Write a letter offering specific ways to
improve your target employer’s business. Because, while few
employers get up in the morning wanting to get a resume in the
mail, every employer wants to increase profits. All you have
to do is show them how.

When you offer solutions instead of a resume, you’re not
acting like a typical job seeker. You’re acting like a star
employee. And you’ll have little or no competition for your
next job when you do.

It all starts when you think and act a little bit differently.

Kevin Donlin is President of Guaranteed Resumes and the creator
of GetHiredNow.TV. Since 1996, he has provided job search
assistance to nearly 10,000 people. Author of “51 Ways to Find
a Job Fast — Guaranteed,” Kevin has been interviewed by USA
Today, The Wall Street Journal, CBS Radio and others.
His latest product, The Instant Job Search System, is available
at http://www.career-related.com/instant-job-search.html
 

Another Job Search Success Story
copyright (c) 2007 by Kevin Donlin
Everybody loves a story with a happy ending, right?

Well, here’s one about an Ontario man who got the job he wanted
in exactly 31 days, with lessons that can help you do the same.

Rod Sider, from Waterloo, Ontario, sent me an email describing
the success he had after reading my ebook, “Guerrilla Resumes.”
We later spoke by phone and I asked Rod what the most important
change was that he made in his job search. His answer: “Focus.
I narrowed my search to one type of job, sales, in two
industries: home remodeling and new cars.”

Your Lesson: Start your job search by thinking clearly of what
you want.
Rod aimed at one specific position — sales — and two
industries. As a result, he was able to produce results quickly,
like sunlight focused through a magnifying glass.

In the words of Robert Collier: “The time you put in aimlessly
dreaming and wishing would accomplish marvels if it were
concentrated on one definite subject.”

Next, I asked Rod about his resume.

“Among the changes I made to my resume was to put in comments
from past clients,” said Rod. Including testimonials like this
helped prove the claims he made in his resume, because praise
about you is more believable when it comes from somebody else.

Your Lesson: Watch any TV infomercial and you’ll find that at
least 30-50% of the program is made up of testimonials from
happy customers. That’s no accident. Testimonials are incredibly
powerful. In your resume, including two or three testimonials –
brief quotes from clients or managers — can be just as powerful.

Now. How many employers did Rod contact, and how did he find
them?

“I faxed, emailed and mailed my resume to 19 companies that I
wanted to work for. I found 16 of them just by driving around
near my home and looking. I located more than 50 potential
employers this way. Then, I researched them on Google, narrowing
the list and finding contact information for executives I wanted
to meet. The interesting part was, only one of the 19 companies
I contacted was hiring, but I got a total of 5 job interviews.”

Your Lesson: When most folks look for work, they look for a job.
Why not look for an employer instead? That’s what Rod did. He
created his own job market by targeting companies within 20
minutes of his home. Rod didn’t wait for his ideal employers
to advertise an opening — he simply went after them.
You can, too.

What happened after he sent out his resumes and cover letters?

“For the first few days, there were no calls. I got a bit
discouraged. But, I called all 19 employers to see if they got
my resume and cover letter.
Then things started to snowball. I received a total of 12
responses, resulting in four in-person interviews and one phone
interview. On day 30, I was called back for a second interview
and offered a position 5 minutes from home. On day 31, I
accepted the job, selling new cars.”

Your Lesson: This one has two parts.

First, you must follow up. Rod called each of his 19 target
employers to make sure they got his resume. If a company is
worth identifying, researching, and applying to, it’s worth a
phone call to make sure your materials were read.

Second, if you persist, you will succeed. If you don’t, you
won’t. While Rod felt dejected after not hearing back from
employers, he never quit.
Instead, he got busy calling employers to follow up. One good
thing led to another, until he had the job he wanted within
31 days.

If you never give up, you’ll never fail. It’s just that simple.

Kevin Donlin is President of Guaranteed Resumes and the creator
of GetHiredNow.TV. Since 1996, he has provided job search
assistance to nearly 10,000 people. Author of “51 Ways to Find
a Job Fast — Guaranteed,” Kevin has been interviewed by USA
Today, The Wall Street Journal, CBS Radio and others.
His latest product, The Instant Job Search System, is available
at http://www.career-related.com/instant-job-search.html

3 Ways to Prove You’re The One to Hire
copyright (c) 2003-2007 by Kevin Donlin
What’s the best way to get hired for the job you really want,
in any economy?

Prove that you’re the best person for that job. And a great
way to do that is to start working — before you’re hired.

How do you do it? Let me explain with three mini-case studies
that won jobs …
1) Start work BEFORE the interview
“Six candidates were interviewing for a sales position in
Atlanta with an exclusive company that had just received about
$83 million in funding,” says Ron McManmon, a former recruiter
and Executive VP of Careeradex.com.

“Five candidates were ‘top gun’ sales people who all came from
industry leaders … and then there was Tony. He was young,
with about five years of experience. But Tony was highly
motivated and willing to go the extra mile.

“In his job interview, Tony not only mapped his accomplishments
out in a PowerPoint presentation, he demonstrated that he had
already started working for the company. He did this by
researching, assembling, and bringing with him a list of sales
leads and contacts. His presentation consisted of past, present
AND future. The other candidates did nothing like this.”

Did it work?

“Tony was hired over five more-experienced candidates,” says
McManmon.
2) Start work BEFORE the interview — Part 2
This example is near and dear to my heart - it’s how I landed
a job with a marketing communications firm back in the 1990s,
when I worked for other people.

After mailing in my resume, I was called by a receptionist to
schedule an interview. During our conversation, I asked if he
could send me back issues of their corporate publications. I
explained that I wanted to research the writing styles of the
magazines and newsletters I would be editing if I got the job.

He agreed, and had a nice package of materials couriered over
to me the same day.

It turned out to be a gold mine.

I found three typos in one back issue of a magazine I would be
proofreading in the position I was interviewing for. Here was
proof that I could do the job.

Two days later at the interview, the subject of proofreading
skills came up. I pulled out the magazine (with post-it notes
marking the typos), slid it across the table and said: “I’ve
been researching your publications and found these three errors.
If you hire me, I can improve your image by preventing this
from happening again.”

They hired me.
3) Start work AFTER the interview
This lesson in perseverance is a variation on the first story,
about the candidate who brought a list of sales leads to a job
interview.

“Robin, a woman from Los Angeles, had been interviewing with
the same company for three months. She felt she was a perfect
for the position, but the hiring manager was not responsive –
he wouldn’t tell her yes or no about a decision to hire her,”
says Ron McManmon.

So Robin called McManmon to discuss her dilemma. His advice?

“I suggested that she REALLY demonstrate her skills to the
hiring manager.
I encouraged her to call 100 potential customers and ask them,
‘Would you be interested in looking at a technology that would
solve your problem with X and save you Y amount of dollars?’”
says McManmon.

The next day, Robin walked into the manager’s office, put her
contact list on his desk and said, “I’ve already started
working for you. In fact, I have 100 customers who are
interested in you technology.”

What happened next?

“Robin was hired on the spot,” says McManmon.

Now. These three examples all illustrate a common point.

Do whatever you can to research your target company and
“start working” for them before you’re hired, or even
interviewed. Because, it’s one thing to claim you can do
the job. It’s quite another — and much more powerful –
to prove it.

Now, go out and make your own luck!
Kevin Donlin is President of Guaranteed Resumes and the creator
of GetHiredNow.TV. Since 1996, he has provided job search
assistance to nearly 10,000 people. Author of “51 Ways to Find
a Job Fast — Guaranteed,” Kevin has been interviewed by USA
Today, The Wall Street Journal, CBS Radio and others.
His latest product, The Instant Job Search System, is available
at http://www.career-related.com/instant-job-search.html
 

4 Guerrilla Job Search Tips
copyright (c) 2007 by Kevin Donlin

I interviewed David Perry, an accomplished recruiter, author
of “Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters,” and my partner in
“inplacement” training for displaced employees, to find new,
unconventional ways for you to find a job.

David’s tips follow. They’re as effective as they are
interesting, so pick at least one and take action today.

1) Send an “Over-qualified” Letter
Yes, that’s right, tell employers you are OVER-qualified
for their job opening. This will surely get their attention.

Perry suggests that you send your resume with a cover letter
that says, “It will appear from my resume that I’m over-qualified
for the job you advertised, so let me tell you why you should
interview me and consider ’super-sizing’ your opportunity.”
Then, include a bulleted list of 3-5 benefits you think they
might be interested in. Close your letter with language like,
“I am old enough to have learned from my mistakes, so my
experience will save you money in the long-run. In a few
months or years you’ll need to train a more-junior employee
to upgrade their knowledge, but I come fully equipped to do
the next job, too.”

When in doubt, send this letter to a company that’s not atop
your most-wanted list, so any rejection won’t sting.
2) Call Human Resources
“I know this sounds like heresy, but there’s method in my
madness,” says Perry. Call the personnel department of the
companies on your target list.
Ask their HR manager what recruiting firm they use.

Why? For two important reasons.

First, any HR person will immediately ask why you want to know.
Answer, “I’ve been to your Web site and I see that you’re not
looking for someone with my skill set now, but the recruiting
agency you use may be dealing with other firms who could use my
skills — so I guess I’m looking for a recommendation from you.”

After they get over the compliment, they will likely ask you
about your skills and experience, in which case you should tell
them, “I didn’t call looking for a back door into your company,
but if you want to have a cup of coffee, I’d be happy to share
my achievements with you.”

Second, if they don’t press you for an interview, insist on
knowing whom they use and why. “HR managers love saving money on
fees, so they may try to hire you directly,” says Perry.
3) Send Articles
Sending a newspaper or magazine article to a hiring manager with
a simple note like: “I thought you might be interested in this .”
is a great door opener.

“The trick is to find an article that’s truly helpful to them
in their work. You can uncover needs by searching Google for
position papers they may have presented or to see what their
competitors are announcing — and then let them know. I know
several people who have landed great jobs doing this,” says
Perry.

You can find articles by searching the Web editions of
magazines and newspapers. Also, try Google Alerts to keep
updated on subjects of interest to your targeted employers:
Google.com/Alerts.

“I find that mailed photocopies of articles work best because
most people simply use email. Also, a hard copy will stay on a
recipient’s desk longer and it may get passed on to other staff
members who could be hiring,” advises Perry.
4) Use a Web Site
In the 20th century, you needed a business card. Now, you need
a Web site.

Be sure to make yours look professional. If you’re not
artistic, visit TemplateMonster.com and buy a ready-to-go
site layout for $20-$60.

“Customize your site to fit your needs, or pay someone to
do it for you.
Use a Web site design that matches the industry you want to
go into,” says Perry.

You can hire a good Web designer inexpensively at Guru.com
or RentaCoder.com. Can’t afford one? Consider setting up a
free blog site at Blogger.com.

Include any articles you have written, summaries of successful
projects, case studies, testimonials from past clients/managers
– anything that qualifies you for your target job. Finally,
make sure to include your contact information, so employers
can call or email you directly.

“Your site’s content should focus on your industry knowledge
and your ability to do the job you want to be hired for,”
advises Perry. “Make it easy and compelling for employers to
contact you — and they will.”

Kevin Donlin is President of Guaranteed Resumes and the creator
of GetHiredNow.TV. Since 1996, he has provided job search
assistance to nearly 10,000 people. Author of “51 Ways to Find
a Job Fast — Guaranteed,” Kevin has been interviewed by USA
Today, The Wall Street Journal, CBS Radio and others.
His latest product, The Instant Job Search System, is available
at
http://www.career-related.com/instant-job-search.html

Is Working From Home For You?
copyright (c) 2007 by Kevin Donlin

Ever wished you could work from home? Commute to the “office”
in your jammies? Make every day Casual Friday?

Well, it’s never been easier to do just that. Almost any kind
of job, from accountant to writer, can be done from the comfort
of your own home.

“About 27.8 million Americans worked from home in 2006, which
was a 10% jump over 2005, and that number is going to continue
to grow,” says Eddy Salomon, who operates WorkAtHomeCareers.com,
a clearinghouse of home-based employment opportunities.

What’s behind this growth in work-at-home employment? Often,
home-based workers are cheaper than traditional ones. “A growing
number of companies are hiring people to telecommute from home,
as opposed to off-shoring those jobs to another country or
hiring people to work in an office,” says Cheryl Demas, founder
of Wahm.com, a site that caters to work-at-home moms (and dads).

So, what kinds of work-at-home jobs can you expect to find out
there?

“I’ve seen it all, but customer service is hot right now. I
think it’s a big growth area — phone banks and order taking.
Many of the ads you see on TV are routing their calls to
home-based workers. So do pizza places and airline reservation
firms, to name a few others,” says Demas.

Other work-at-home jobs include data entry, customer service,
and writing for Web sites, also known as blogging. For the
latter, Salomon recommends Helium.com, AssociatedContent.com
and PayPerPost.com as good places to start writing for money.
Other sites where home-based workers and connect with employers
are Guru.com, Elance.com and Rentacoder.com.

But there’s a catch for those who prefer a steady paycheck:
The above-mentioned jobs tend to be short-term assignments that
don’t always pay a lot.

By contrast, a work-at-home career is long-term and requires
higher-level skills, like bookkeeping, graphic design, medical
transcription, sales, engineering and photography. “I recommend
people pursue a home-based career by investing in themselves and
upgrading their skills through education,” says Salomon.

How do you find and apply for home-based jobs with the best pay,
benefits and stability?

Web sites like Wahm.com and WorkAtHomeCareers.com are both worth
a look, with postings of home-based job, helpful articles and
forums where you can network with others.Other sites to check
out include Tjobs.com and MoneyMakingMommy.com.

As with all things Internet, beware of scams. In a nutshell,
you should never have to pay anything to take a real
work-at-home job. If a company asks for money, they’re likely
trying to sell you a business opportunity, not offer you a
position.

Also, Demas warns to avoid companies that ask you to do any
payment transfers, accept packages, run auctions or reship
materials. “These are red flags, because there is no legitimate
need for those sorts of services,” she says. In some cases,
shady companies will ask you to deposit cashier’s checks on
their behalf, only to loot your bank account later.

Here’s a quick research tip. Type the name and Web site address
of any potential employer into Google, plus the word scam, like
this: “Ace Novelty Company scam” (without the quotes).

Also, it’s a good idea to visit www.ripoffreport.com and
www.bbbonline.org for more due diligence. And try to join at
least one Web site forum where you can ask others about
work-at-home opportunities you’re considering.

Now. As someone who’s done it for 10 years, I can tell you that
working at home isn’t for everyone. You must be able to work
independently, without supervision. It can get lonely, too –
you may miss the camaraderie of an office. And your paychecks
may come sporadically — or not at all — as you navigate from
one assignment to the other in search of a long-term
home-based career.

Still, for those who can make it work, working from home is the
only way to go.
Kevin Donlin is President of Guaranteed Resumes and the creator
of GetHiredNow.TV. Since 1996, he has provided job search
assistance to nearly 10,000 people. Author of “51 Ways to Find
a Job Fast — Guaranteed,” Kevin has been interviewed by USA
Today, The Wall Street Journal, CBS Radio and others.
His latest product, The Instant Job Search System, is available
at
http://www.career-related.com/instant-job-search.html
 

Don’t Send a Cover Letter
copyright (c) 2007 by Kevin Donlin
As a rule, I hate reading cover letters. Nearly all are what
I call, 3B: Bland, Boring and Banal.

In fact, most cover letters are such formulaic exercises in
boredom that I suggest you stop sending them altogether.

That’s right. Don’t send a cover letter. Send a sales letter
instead.

After all, your goal in writing to employers is to “sell” them
on hiring you, right?

With that in mind, here’s a recent success story that will
help you stop sending cover letters, and start sending sales
letters that get job interviews.

Paul D. from White Bear Lake, MN writes: “I met you at the
Star Tribune job expo and I wanted to comment on your tip to
write a sales letter rather than a cover letter. I took your
advice and, after sending the new cover letter to apply for two
jobs online, I had one call the same day for an interview!
The other call came the day after.”

So, Paul batted 1.000 with the two cover letters he sent out.
Better yet, he emailed me his cover letter, which offers three
lessons that can get you hired .
1) Get Attention by Asking a Question
You must get employers’ attention at the start of your letter
and compel them to read. Otherwise, your letter won’t have any
effect. Because bored readers will skim over the document, then
rush off to your résumé.

An easy way to get attention is to ask a question. Why?
Questions are hard to ignore — they engage and involve readers.

This is what I suggested at the job search expo Paul attended.
He took my advice and wrote a new cover letter that began like
this:

———-

         Dear Mr. Peterson:

         Are you looking for a professional marketing person
who has demonstrated analytical and problem-solving ability,
practical project management skills and excellent written and
verbal communication skills?

———-

Paul’s question gets attention and causes the reader to answer,
Yes. And if you can get employers to nod in agreement while
reading your “sales letter,” you’ve taken a giant leap toward
getting hired.
2) Emphasize Specific Results
Which of the following statements is more interesting?

A) I’m a hard worker, honest and reliable, with excellent
attention to detail.

B) I saved my last employer more than $1,000.

It’s B, of course. B makes a specific claim, while A is a list
of generalities. All things being equal, the candidate who
sprinkles results throughout his/her “sales letter” is more
likely to get hired. Because, employers think, if you’ve
delivered the goods before, you’ll likely do so again.

That’s what Paul did in his letter — he included specific
results like these:

———-

         My attention to detail saved my company more than
one thousand dollars in incorrect registration forms over six
months.

———-

Now, that isn’t perfect. I would use numerals (not words), put
the numbers first, and include a dollar sign, all of which
makes the results more obvious. Like this:

———-

         I saved more than $1,000 for my company in 6 months,
by finding and correcting registration forms.

———-
3) End with a Provocative P.S.
Here’s where Paul hit it out of the park.

Remember, you want to send a sales letter, not a cover letter.
And what do all sales letters have? A P.S. at the end.
(Go read your junk mail right now to verify that I’m right.
I’ll wait….)

Good sales letters have a P.S. because good copywriters know
the P.S. always gets read. Why? That’s not important now.

What is important is for you to include a P.S. in your “sales
letter” that’s so intriguing, employers will have no choice but
to call you to learn more.

That’s what Paul did. Here’s the P.S. he wrote, following my
advice:

———-

         P. S. - Please call me if you would like to learn
how I produced over $70,000 in grant money for the Minnesota
Trucking Association last year.

———-

This is simple and brilliant. Just as the opening question of
Paul’s letter forced readers to nod and answer Yes, the P.S.
forces them to say, Huh?
Then, pick up the phone and call.

In Paul’s case, he got two calls in two days, from two “sales
letters.” And one new job. Here’s the rest of his letter to me:

“I finished the second interview yesterday and was offered the
job the same day! Best of all, I was able to negotiate a raise
and I am convinced that if I had not rewritten my cover letter
it would have never happened. Thank you!”

So, if your job search is sputtering, stop sending cover
letters and start sending sales letters. Follow these three
tips: open with a question, emphasize specific results, and
include a P.S.

Now, go out and make your own luck!

Kevin Donlin is President of Guaranteed Resumes and the creator
of GetHiredNow.TV. Since 1996, he has provided job search
assistance to nearly 10,000 people. Author of “51 Ways to Find
a Job Fast — Guaranteed,” Kevin has been interviewed by USA
Today, The Wall Street Journal, CBS Radio and others.
His latest product, The Instant Job Search System, is available
at
http://www.career-related.com/instant-job-search.html