copyright (c) 2008 by Kevin Donlin

You can learn a lot about how to write a powerful cover letter, not by
reading books on cover letters written by employment experts, but by
reading your junk mail.

That’s right: Start reading the sales letters you get in the mail if you
want to write cover letters that produce job interviews.

That’s because, as far as is known, nobody ever got rich writing books on
cover letters.

But there are plenty of copywriters who earn more than $500,000 per year
and $50,000 per letter.

They get this kind of money for writing sales letters that sell in the
millions of dollars.

And, since your job search is ultimately a sales and marketing campaign,
why not take your cover letter cues from the letters written by highly paid
copywriters?

Here are four ways to do it …

1) Begin with a Name

When’s the last time you bought something from a sales letter that began,
“Dear Occupant”?

I thought so.

Why not?

Because, if the writer doesn’t even know your name, how are they going to
understand your situation enough to deserve getting your hard-earned money?

Employers think the same way.

Why should they give you their money — in the form of salary — if you
start your cover letter, “Dear Sir or Madam”?

So, it behooves you to start every cover letter with the name of the hiring
authority. Make as many phone calls as it takes to find that person’s name.

Here’s a script to use when you call: “I’m writing a letter to the head of
your Accounting/Customer Service/Warehousing Department. Could I have the
correct spelling for that person’s name please?”

2) Know Your Reader, Then Prove It

Your cover letter should show that you researched the employer. The more
relevant, specific facts you can include in your letter, the better your
odds that at least one of them will connect with the reader.

Every company hiring has problems to solve and opportunities to capitalize on.

Find them by asking the people you know personally and professionally. Good
places to start are your email address book, followed by Linkedin.com. You
can also try Facebook, MySpace and Zoominfo.com.

Google can provide a mountain of intelligence. Your main task will be to
prioritize which facts to include and which to leave out of your cover letter.

In fact, if you don’t have room for everything, that can be good!

In your cover letter, include two or three relevant bits of information
from your research, then language to this effect: “There isn’t room here to
discuss all the ways I can contribute to ABC Corp., so please call me today
to learn four more areas I can help you with, including the $750,000
opportunity mentioned in yesterday’s New York Times.”

3) Turn I, Me, My into You, You, You

Read any good sales letter and one of the most common words will always be YOU.

That’s because good copywriters understand human nature, and how natural it
is to be selfish. We care about ourselves first and foremost.

And, because hiring managers are human, they care more about themselves and
their problems than about you and yours.

With that in mind, you can instantly improve any cover letters by making
one, simple change: Turn all the mentions of “I, me, mine” into “you, You,
YOU.”

Example: Don’t write, “I’m applying for a job where my skills will be
rewarded with the opportunity for me to advance.”

Blech.

Write this: “You will benefit from my 11 years of accounting experience,
which will help make a rapid contribution for your clients and your bottom
line.”

4) End with a Call for Action

The best sales letters don’t just peter out with language like, “Please
drop us a line if you like our product.”

Instead, they ask for specific action, NOW.

Here’s the closing from a letter selling mini-trampolines (I bought one, by
the way): “Seeing is believing, so send for your Tramp-o-matic 3000 today.”

And here’s one from a letter selling business book summaries (I bought this
one, too): “One quick toll-free phone call — 1-800-123.4567 — or an
online click to www.abc.net — and we’ll get your first two summaries off
to you, plus your eight bonus summaries.”

Need more ideas?

Here’s a closing you can adapt to your needs: “Please call me today at
555-1212 and I’ll tell you how the same sales skills that helped me
produce $235,890 in revenue last quarter can quickly boost profits for you.”

Or this: “Please call me today at 555-1212 and I’ll explain how the same
accounting skills that helped me save $35,950 in taxes last quarter can
increase profits for you.”

So, stop sending cover letters to employers, and start sending sales
letters instead.

When you do, you can’t help but sell more of them on the idea of hiring you.

Kevin Donlin is co-author of Guerrilla Resumes. Since 1996,
he has provided job-search help to more than 20,000 people.
Kevin has been interviewed by The New York Times, USA Today,
Fox News, ABC TV, CBS Radio and others.
To learn more about Guerrilla Resumes, Click Here

copyright (c) 2008 by Kevin Donlin

The recent bad news from Wall Street may have you worried about the job market.

If so, you’re not alone.

You need to do more things right to find employment these days, especially
if you’re in banking, finance, or a related field.

So, if you suddenly find yourself looking for work, or if your search is
taking longer than planned, the following four tips will help, whether your
goal is a job on Wall Street or Main Street …

1) Know Thy Skills
The first thing to do if you’re laid off or let go is to recognize that
your skills and smarts haven’t changed just because your company is going
through tough times. That’s according to John Benson, Founder & CEO of
eFinancialCareers.com.

“Losing a job is traumatic, and it’s important to step back and make an
assessment of your skills and weaknesses, and examine where you are in your
career.”

Write this all down on paper, because writing clarifies your thinking.
After that, “show your list to a friend or colleague who can be objective
enough to challenge your assumptions,” advises Benson.

Bonus: Every career-related conversation you have is a networking
conversation … which can turn into a job lead. So choose your confidants
carefully for this exercise.

2) Consider All Options
After analyzing your professional skills, it can help to take another look
at temporary or contract positions.

While it may be tempting to wait for your ideal job to pop up, it can be
faster to find an ideal employer first, then prove yourself in a contract
position that leads to a permanent role, according to Jennifer Kleven,
Practice Director for Accounting & Finance at the Minneapolis office of
recruiting and staffing firm Mergis.

“There are temporary and contract positions in all fields, from entry level
and up. I have seen a number of people get their foot in the door and later
become managers with employers,” she says.

To move up from temp to perm in today’s job market, you should offer
employers relevant skills, a good attitude and an even better work ethic.
“Companies tend not to let people like that go,” says Kleven.

3) Differentiate or Dole
Perhaps the biggest mistake job seekers make is a failure to differentiate
themselves from the crowd, according to Benson. “Employers want to know
that you have thought long and hard about wanting to work for them.”

In many cases, the first exposure you have to hiring managers is your cover
letter. And sending out a formulaic letter won’t help your cause.

“Write a personalized cover letter in which you explain why you are a good
match for the company and how you will bring value,” says Benson.

This is essential — get the letter wrong, and many employers won’t even
look at your resume.

4) Network — Always and Everywhere
In the end, it’s a person who will hire you for the job you want. And
people are everywhere. Logically, then, job leads are everywhere, too.

That’s why your networking radar must be turned on every moment of every
day. Even when commuting. “I’ve seen people network while riding the bus.
It was as simple as asking the other person, ‘What do you do?’” says Kleven.

So, the next time you’re seated next to a successful-looking person on a
train, or in a coffee shop, why not strike up a conversation and ask about
their profession?

The worst that can happen is … nothing. But, if you open enough
networking dialogues, you’re bound to turn one into an interview later,
which can lead to a job.

Tip: Need an excuse to start a networking conversation? Use me! Here’s how …

Walk up to someone you’d like to meet (professionally, of course) and say:
“I read an article by Kevin Donlin in INSERT PUBLICATION NAME HERE. He said
you can meet almost anyone just by asking what they do. So, do you mind if
I ask you what you do for a living?”

Why not try it and see?

Kevin Donlin is co-author of Guerrilla Resumes. Since 1996,
he has provided job-search help to more than 20,000 people.
Kevin has been interviewed by The New York Times, USA Today,
Fox News, ABC TV, CBS Radio and others.
To learn more about Guerrilla Resumes, Click Here

copyright (c) 2008 by Kevin Donlin

Instead of sending out resumes and waiting for the phone to ring,
wouldn’t it be nice if you could be the one making the calls and
scheduling the interviews?

Well, you can.

The two people you’re about to meet did. They got job interviews
using little more than their phones and some creativity.

Can you, too?

1) The Coffee Cup Caper
Janet FritzHuspen from St. Paul, Minnesota, landed an interview
after mailing a coffee cup to a local firm, then calling them
to follow up.

Mailing a what?

“I got the idea for sending a coffee cup to employers from David
Perry, the author of Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters,” says
FritzHuspen.

FritzHuspen found the job advertised online, then sent a box
with a travel coffee mug, her resume and a cover letter. Her
letter said, “I would like to meet you over coffee to discuss
how I can benefit the ABC Corporation as your director.”

“I sent the box via FedEx Ground, so I could track and know when
they signed for it. I waited about 20 minutes after it had
arrived. Then, I called and said, ‘Hi. You just got my package!’
and I went from there,” she says.

FritzHuspen has sent three cups-in-a-box in the last two weeks.
“I called and spoke with somebody at all three employers, and
had a conversation with one hiring manager that resulted in an
interview.”

Now, here are four tips to make this “coffee cup caper” work
for you:

1. Find names and phone numbers of hiring managers on Google.
If you can’t get a name, call and ask the company receptionist.
That’s what Janet did. She then referred to that receptionist in
her cover letter, to drop a name and establish rapport. Smart.

2. If her interview doesn’t turn into a job offer, Janet can
parlay her contacts into referrals at other employers. All she
has to do is ask the hiring manager and receptionist, both of
whom have favorable opinions of her.

3. You can save money if you use FedEx Ground or similar service
from UPS. Speed is less important than real-time delivery
confirmation — you want to call recipients right after they
open your package. This makes an incredible first impression!

4. You can buy travel coffee mugs for under $5 at any good-sized
store. Don’t over-spend on this, but don’t send cheapies, either.

2) Cold Calling
Gilbert Fonseca from Pharr, Texas, got hired for an insurance
sales position very quickly after doing something very simple
and direct: He called an employer that was expanding, introduced
himself, and asked for an interview.

Imagine that.

Through research, Fonseca learned his target employer was
expanding. A call to company headquarters produced the name and
number of the local hiring manager.

“I just called the hiring manager and introduced myself. He
wasn’t too keen about my call, but I did what any job seeker
should do — I sold myself,” says Fonseca.

Here’s what he said: “Good afternoon Mr. X, my name is Gilbert
Fonseca, I live in Pharr, and I heard that you’re coming to our
area. I wanted to introduce myself and explain how I know about
you — I worked for one of your competitors in the past.”

At this point, the hiring manager pushed back and asked what the
call was about. But Fonseca pressed on.

“I know how your products work and I have a big book of business
I could bring with me,” said Fonseca. This got the manager’s
attention — who wouldn’t want to hire someone who brings his
own customers?

“That’s pretty much where the conversation ended,” said Fonseca,
who got the names of other hiring managers and was told to call
them.

No interviews resulted, so Fonseca pursued other leads. But two
weeks later he got a call. “The hiring manager said that things
had changed and I was asked to come in. I interviewed on Tuesday
and had the job on Wednesday,” he says.

Here are four things to keep in mind as you “cold call” for
interviews:

1. This can work in any field. Just tell employers —
specifically — what good things you’ve done before and can do
again. Example: “I’ve saved/made more than $110,000 a year the
last three years and can do the same for you.” Do your homework
and assign a dollar value to the time you’ve saved or money
you’ve earned.

2. Follow a script. Although Fonseca didn’t, it can ease your
nerves to read from a piece of paper. Be sure to practice until
the words flow smoothly.

3. The worst that can happen when you call employers is . they
say no. Nobody dies or goes to jail. But you may land a job
interview. All you have to do is ask.

4. When in doubt, test it out. Pick five companies you have
no desire to work for, call, and practice your script on them.
(If you get offered an interview, call back later to cancel.)
Then, when you’re confident, phone the employers on your “A” list.

Now, go out and make your own luck!

Kevin Donlin is creator of TheSimpleJobSearch.com. Since 1996,
he has provided job-search help to more than 11,000 people.
Kevin has been interviewed by USA Today, The Wall Street
Journal, CBS Radio and others.
His free report, The Simple Job Search Manifesto, is found at

Career Related.Com/The Simple Job Search System

copyright (c) 2008 by Kevin Donlin

You’ve seen the headlines — thousands of jobs vaporized at
corporate behemoths Lehman Brothers and Merrill Lynch. Some
of the world’s biggest businesses face big problems in the
coming months.

That’s why, if you’re looking for work, you should take a
long look at small businesses.

Small firms employ about 50% of all private-sector workers in
America and, since the mid-1990s, have generated 60 to 80
percent of net new jobs each year, according to the U.S. Small
Business Administration.

“I’m a big advocate of targeting small businesses in a job
search because it’s easier to get your foot in the door and
make contact,” advises Thad Greer, a recruiter and author of
The Executive Rules (www.ExecutiveManagementSearch.com).

Not only is it easier to reach executives at smaller companies,
“they also make employment decisions faster and you have more
flexibility when negotiating a compensation package,” says Greer.

That’s the good news.

The challenge? Many smaller firms don’t advertise job openings
online, so it can take some sleuthing to find the right
employer for you.

Yet, it can be done. Here are three ways.

1) Look Beyond the Want Ads
Whether you read your newspaper online or on paper, it’s a
valuable source of intelligence about which small firms may be
hiring.

First, look for growing companies. Any local firm in the news
for an increase in sales or market share merits your attention.

Second, check the business section for companies signing new
real estate leases, which are a sign of a need for increased
capacity — and employees.

Finally, any company profiled in the Sunday business section or
elsewhere is a potential employment lead. Because, if they’re
doing enough good things to merit special coverage, they’re
likely growing and in need of staff.

2) Call the Chamber of Commerce
Members of your chamber of commerce often rank among the area’s
leading small firms, making them an excellent source of
employment leads.

Call the chamber, tell them you’re researching the top
employers in your line of work, and ask for the name of the
best person to take out for lunch — you might get the name of
someone at the chamber, at a specific employer, or both.

Any meetings you go on are fact-finding missions only — ask
for advice, not for a job. And ask this question of every
decision maker you meet: What would you do if you were in my
shoes? This forces people to think specifically — you’ll get
more actionable ideas from this one question than any other I know.

Note: Don’t limit your options. Call every chamber in every city
within 25 miles, or however far you’re willing to commute.

3) Hit the Pavement
You can find dozens of potential employers simply by driving
(or biking or busing) around near your home.

Especially if you’re an urban dweller. According to the SBA web
site, small firms make up more than 99% of inner city businesses
and create 80% of jobs in those areas.

So, get out, look around, and write down the names and address
of any company that interests you. When you get home, research
them on Google, narrow the list down to 10-25, and find contact
information for executives you might work for.

You have several options at this point:

* Put out feelers to your network asking for contacts at your
top 25 local firms. When you make a connection, arrange a phone
call or meet for coffee and find out how you can fill their needs.

* Write an “approach letter” to employers, in which you say, in
effect, “Here’s what attracts me about your organization, and
here are the skills and abilities I can contribute. Would you
be open to discussing this?”
Don’t include a resume. Do call to follow up.

* Call decision makers by phone. Give your name and explain how
you found them; demonstrate knowledge of their company; ask if
they have a few minutes to speak; ask questions to uncover
their needs; and ask for a meeting to discuss how you could
help. If you don’t get a meeting, ask for referrals.

Confused about what to do? Mail or call five companies you
don’t want to work for. Practice on them before contacting your
top 25 employers.

Although economic problems may loom for large employers, small
firms remain resilient. While the private sector as a whole
lost 33,000 jobs in August 2008, small businesses (with fewer
than 50 employees), added 20,000 jobs, according to the latest
National Employment Report from ADP.

So be sure to think small in your job search. The results
could be huge.

Kevin Donlin is creator of TheSimpleJobSearch.com. Since 1996,
he has provided job-search help to more than 11,000 people.
Kevin has been interviewed by USA Today, The Wall Street
Journal, CBS Radio and others.
His free report, The Simple Job Search Manifesto, is found at

Career Related.Com/The Simple Job Search System

copyright (c) 2008 by Kevin Donlin

If you’re looking for a job and haven’t found one yet, by
definition, you have a problem.

There’s something standing between you and employment.

What is it?

Surprisingly, when I ask most job hunters what their #1
job-search problem is, they answer, “I don’t know.”

Think about that. How can you solve a problem if you don’t
know what it is?

So, the first step is to define your biggest job-search problem.
Only then can you solve it effectively.

Here’s how ….

1) What’s Your Biggest Job-Search Problem?

What’s the one thing which, if you could fix it, would quickly
result in your getting your ideal job, at your ideal salary?

Write all the possible problems down on paper without censoring
yourself.

Some examples:

* I send my resume to employers … and nothing happens
* I can’t get past HR gatekeepers and meet with hiring managers
* I’m getting interviews, but no job offers

After you write down all your problems, rank them in order, from
big to small.

Now, choose your biggest, most-frustrating problem.

Congratulations! You’re ready for …

Step 2) How Do You Solve Your Biggest Job-Search Problem?

Heh. That’s a trick question.

Why?

If you actually wrote down your #1 problem, you are halfway to
solving it already.

That’s because when you outline a problem in writing, you
demystify it.
Defined on paper, a problem loses most of its power to frighten.
It’s like turning on the light after a nightmare — there’s
nothing scary under the bed when you get a clear look at things.

So, with most of the fear factor gone, you can now solve any
job-search problem by restating it as a question, with the help
of one word: How.

To illustrate, here are the problems from earlier, restated as
questions:

* How can I make sure employer get my resume?
* How can I get past HR gatekeepers and meet with hiring managers?
* How can I turn more interviews into job offers?

Now — on paper, because that’s the only way to think clearly —
let’s brainstorm possible solutions …

Problem: How can I make sure employer get my resume?

Possible solutions: Let’s define “send my resume.” For most
people that means email. And email is about as reliable as the
pony express.

So, you need to know if your email was received and opened.

The simplest way is to pick up the phone, call the employer, and
say: “I’ve been having some trouble with spam filters. Could you
verify that you got the resume I emailed you yesterday?” Here,
spam is your friend — I’ve met several job seekers who turned
such a phone call into a long conversation that led to an
interview. Try it.

Or, try a free email notification service like MSGTAG
(www.msgtag.com), or search Google for “read receipt email” and
“delivery receipt email” for other solutions.

But why limit yourself to email? Let’s brainstorm further …

Why not differentiate yourself by printing and sending your
resume (with cover letter) to the decision maker by postal mail?

Find their name by calling the employer and asking for the
correct spelling of the person in charge of your department —
that’s likely your future boss. You can also find names at
www.jigsaw.com and www.zoominfo.com.

Bonus: Make contact with people at your target company and ask
them to walk your resume into a manager’s office the same day
you submit it by email.
This can start a conversation among executives that pushes your
name to the top of the pile.

Problem: How can I get past HR gatekeepers and meet with hiring
managers?

Possible solutions: Why not go around the gatekeepers?

Instead of going through HR and hoping to make it to the next
security checkpoint, start at the top by contacting the person
you want to work for — they can then call down to HR and put
you on the interviewing schedule.

In any case, strive to meet someone at your target employer.
You may already know someone there. Or, someone they know may
know someone.

Online, you can make contacts at LinkedIn.com and Facebook.com.

Offline, call the five most-successful people you know and ask,
“What would you do if you were in my shoes?” This simple
question instantly engages listeners and can produce a slew of
solutions for any job-search problem — try it.

Problem: How can I turn more interviews into job offers?

Possible solutions: Job interviews are like golf swings. No
matter what you’re doing wrong, others have faced the same
problem — and solved it.

As in golf, you need to identify what you’re doing wrong,
then practice new techniques. You’ll likely find the answers
from a book or a coach.
Amazon.com is full of the former. The latter can be found
by Googling “job interview coach” for helpful links.

Now, go out and make your own luck.

Kevin Donlin is creator of TheSimpleJobSearch.com. Since 1996,
he has provided job-search help to more than 11,000 people.
Kevin has been interviewed by USA Today, The Wall Street
Journal, CBS Radio and others.
His free report, The Simple Job Search Manifesto, is found at

Career Related.Com/The Simple Job Search System

copyright (c) 2008 by Kevin Donlin

It’s strange but true: You can’t get hired by an employment web
site. Or an HR department.

You can’t get hired by a business, a non-profit agency, or a
government, for that matter.

Rather, you can only get hired by another person.

This is what every successful job search boils down to — people
connecting with and hiring other people.

You can put the odds in your favor, and shorten your job search,
simply by meeting more hiring authorities in the flesh.

But you have to do it right. You must dress and act the part you
want to play as an employee, if you want to impress an employer
enough to hire you.

That’s the advice one man gave his wife that helped her win a
job at a local college.

“She was going to mail her resume to apply for the position, but
I told her that it was so close by, why not hand-deliver it
instead?” said Daniel Dallaire, a financial services manager
from Kamloops, British Columbia.
“That way she could check out the place where she might be
working at the same time.”

Problem: As his wife was heading out the door, Dallaire noticed
she was dressed in sweatpants and a T-shirt. Solution? “I told
her to change clothes and look professional before delivering
her resume.”

Good thing. She ran into the hiring manager at the office, and
her presence — her professional appearance and clothing — had
a positive influence on the decision to hire her later,
according to Dallaire.

All kinds of good things can happen when you visit an employer
in person.

Example: Several years ago, I wrote about Eugene, a software
developer from Savage, Minn., who hand-delivered a portfolio of
material to an employer after submitting his resume earlier.

As he was leaving, Eugene met several employees in the lobby.
One question led to another, and he ended up interviewing them
about ways to improve their work. Eugene submitted a white paper
of possible solutions to the employer, based on his unique
research — and was hired only weeks later.

All because he decided to visit the employer in person.

According to Minneapolis-based recruiter Larry Harris, you
should always try to drop off your resume rather than email or
mail it.

When you learn of an opening for a job, call and ask for the
hiring manager. Tell why you are calling, explain why you are
perfect for the job and ask for a meeting. Then expect them to
refuse — they’ll likely ask you to email your resume instead.

Here’s where you turn opposition into opportunity.

According to Harris, an excellent response is this: “I could
send you my
resume, but I’m going to be near your office tomorrow around
11:00. If you don’t mind, I’d like to stop by and drop it off.
If you’re available, I can introduce myself and hand you my
resume. If you’re not in, I’ll just leave it with the
receptionist. Would that be OK?”

This tactic is non-threatening — the hiring manager can always
duck into a closet when you show up — yet it shows you don’t
shrink from rejection.
And it can lead to more in-person interviews than you’ll likely
get hiding behind the anonymity of email.

If you’ve been surfing the Web and furiously sending out resumes
by email, how’s that working for you? How many job interviews
has the Internet produced by itself? If you’re happy with your
results, great.

If not, try this experiment: Make a plan to meet five employers
in the next five days, by hand-delivering your resume and a
customized, well-researched cover letter to their office.

The worst they can say when you call to ask for a meeting is no.
No problem — just email your resume as you would have done anyway.

But if just two employers agree to let you drop off your resume,
you’ve just secured two job interviews! Because, whether they
say so or not, any in-person meeting with any employer is a job
interview. You will be judged by your appearance, the questions
you ask, and the knowledge (or ignorance) you display, just as
in a formal interview.

So arrange your “resume drop-off” meetings this week and prepare
accordingly. Then, go out and make your own luck.

Kevin Donlin is creator of TheSimpleJobSearch.com. Since 1996,
he has provided job-search help to more than 11,000 people.
Kevin has been interviewed by USA Today, The Wall Street
Journal, CBS Radio and others.
His free report, The Simple Job Search Manifesto, is found at

Career Related.Com/The Simple Job Search System

Job Hunter or Farmer?
copyright (c) 2008 by Kevin Donlin

We humans have been farming for about 12,000 years, which
accounts for only 0.5% of our time on earth as a species,
according to an article on the University of Reading web site.

That means, for most of our ancestors — 99.5% of them —
hunting and gathering was how they got food.

Now. Wouldn’t you agree that farming is a more reliable way to
feed your family than hunting, especially if the latter involves
trying to bag a mastodon?

All of which has something very important to do with your career.

It’s this: Almost everyone looking for work thinks of themselves
as a job hunter. (You, too?)

Most people hunt for employers and gather job leads, day in and
day out.
That’s all they know. That’s how they’ve always done it. Maybe
for 99.5% of their working history.

But wouldn’t it be an evolutionary leap forward to become a job
farmer instead? Especially when looking at your career from a
long-term perspective?

With that in mind, here are four questions to help you think
like a job farmer and cultivate new employment opportunities as
reliably as new crops of corn or oats …

1) Could you start or participate in a blog that gets noticed by
employers?

According to an article by LaTina Emerson on RedOrbit.com, one
way that today’s recruiters are filling positions is by
searching industry-specific blogs for intelligent, informed
candidates.

Why not be among the lucky few who get found — and hired?

If you write a high-quality blog, or post thoughtful comments on
somebody else’s, you greatly increase your chances of getting
called by recruiters with job opportunities.

2) Could you join a professional association, like Toastmasters
or the Chamber of Commerce, that lets you showcase your
expertise among movers and shakers?

Beyond simply joining a local work-related organization, you
should stand out and get noticed.

How? Offer to help with a committee, give a lunch-and-learn
presentation on your area of expertise, or take on some other
leadership role.

Why? Because almost every professional organization in every
city is in need of new leaders. And employers almost always
prefer to hire leaders over followers.

To find lists of associations near you, Google the phrase:
“professional associations YOUR CITY” or “professional
organizations YOUR CITY.”

3) Could you get found by employers and recruiters on social
networking sites?

Whether you’re a member of LinkedIn, Facebook, MySpace — or
all three — you can make it easier for hiring managers to find
you by including the right words in your online profile.

Here’s why: You may think of yourself as an Account Executive
and define yourself that way in your LinkedIn profile, for
example, but a recruiter searching for a Sales Rep might never
find you, even though you’re a perfect match for the job.

Solution? Embed all relevant job titles and skills in your
profile.

If you can’t find a way to do it naturally, simply include a
sentence like this: “Similar job titles to what I’ve done
include Sale Rep, Sales Representative, Account Executive,
and Marketing Coordinator.”

As long as you’re accurate in your descriptions and don’t go
overboard, this tactic can get you found by recruiters
searching LinkedIn or other social networking sites.

4) Could you join a community service organization and meet
local leaders in a setting that lets your altruistic side shine
through?

This is different from joining professional associations, in
that community service organizations are not likely to be
connected with business. But that doesn’t mean you can’t turn
your volunteer efforts into networking contacts that lead to
a new job.

Many of the most influential people in any community volunteer
for soup kitchens, church boards of directors, youth mentoring
programs, and the like. Why not join one and work alongside the
kind of people you need to meet for long-term career success?

To find lists of possible groups to join, Google the phrase:
“volunteer opportunities YOUR CITY” or “community organizations
YOUR CITY.”

Now, go out, get found and get hired!

Kevin Donlin is creator of TheSimpleJobSearch.com. Since 1996,
he has provided job-search help to more than 11,000 people.
Kevin has been interviewed by USA Today, The Wall Street
Journal, CBS Radio and others.
His free report, The Simple Job Search Manifesto, is found at

Career Related.Com/The Simple Job Search System

copyright (c) 2008 by Kevin Donlin

If you’re looking for a job in a distant city, you face an
extra challenge:
How do you convince employers to interview you when there are
plenty of local applicants to choose from?

Challenging, yes. Impossible, no.

You can make a long-distance job search work. All it takes is
some planning and creative effort.

Here are four ways that others have found work in far-off
places. What can you learn from their stories?

1) Borrow a Local Address
If your resume and cover letters show an out-of-state address,
it can count against you — many employers will look only at
local candidates because they don’t want to deal with relocation
costs and related factors.

That’s what Jeff Esposito found.

“I began my search by quitting my job in New York and moving
back with my parents in New Jersey, to find a position closer
to my girlfriend in Boston,” he says.

After a fruitless month applying for out-of-state jobs,
Esposito changed course by changing his address. “I replaced
the NJ address on my resume with my girlfriend’s in Boston.
This increased the number of calls that I received.”

Questions: Who do you know in or near where you want to work?
Could you live with them temporarily should you need to
relocate? If so, consider using their address on your resume
and cover letters. Keep your existing cell phone number,
however, unless you trust others to answer phone calls
professionally for you.

2) Take a Trip to Your Destination City
Most employers are unwilling to fly candidates in for job
interviews. Why not solve this problem for them?

If you can’t use a local address, be up-front in your cover
letter and say that you will be in town on certain days and
would like to come in for an interview.

This worked for Taryn Mickus.

“I was living in Washington, DC a few years ago and searching
for jobs in New York City,” she says. “I called all of the
companies I wanted to interview with and told them I would be
in town for only two days and would really like to meet with
someone.”

Giving employers a small window of opportunity can nudge them
into action because they won’t want to miss out on talking to
you. And it gives them another reason to pull your resume out
of the pile and examine your qualifications anew.

After setting a date to be in town and asking to meet employers,
Mickus got enough interviews to land three job offers in six
weeks . and was hired by a NYC public relations firm.

Questions: If you want to work in another city, plan a trip
there to meet potential employers. Try to arrange phone
interviews before you go, so you can maximize your results by
holding second- and third-round interviews in person, after
you arrive.

3) Look Smart and Avoid the Competition
Hunting for jobs is like hunting for deer or ducks: The less
competition you have for quarry, the better your odds of
bagging one.

That’s how Katie B. was hired for a job in San Francisco after
graduating from college and still living in New York state.

While other candidates searched for jobs on the usual web sites,
Katie found hers advertised in PR Week magazine, an industry
trade journal. She had less competition for the job opening this
way and “My employer was impressed that a college student was
reading that magazine” she says.

After her initial phone interview, Katie sent the hiring manager
a thank-you email expressing strong interest in the position.
“I offered to come out to San Francisco for a second interview,
but they paid for my travel,” she says.

Katie was hired shortly thereafter.

Questions: Do you know all the trade journals and magazines for
your profession? Have you searched their print and online
editions for job postings? If not, you may be missing out on a
happy hunting ground with less competition for jobs — even
those out of state.

4) Find Local Allies
A final way to find jobs long-distance is to make personal
connections where you want to work.

“I don’t care how much technology there is, one thing hasn’t
changed:
People still do the hiring,” advises author and career
consultant, Andrea Kay. So you need to meet people — the
more influential and well-connected, the better — in your
destination city.

That’s what ultimately helped Jeff Esposito get hired.

“I was approached by a recruiter near Boston who understood
my situation and who made the initial interviews over the phone.
After the second call, they asked me in for an in-person
interview, which eventually led to the management job I now
have,” he says.

Questions: Who do you know in your target city? Who should you
know? How can you bridge the gap between those two lists? Ask
the people in your network, as well as on web sites like
LinkedIn, MySpace and Facebook, to get introductions.

Now go out and make your own luck!

Kevin Donlin is creator of TheSimpleJobSearch.com. Since 1996,
he has provided job-search help to more than 11,000 people.
Kevin has been interviewed by USA Today, The Wall Street
Journal, CBS Radio and others.
His free report, The Simple Job Search Manifesto, is found at

Career Related.Com/The Simple Job Search System

copyright (c) 2008 by Kevin Donlin

You may think it difficult to grab the attention of employers at
busy job fairs or on big employment web sites like Monster.

But it can be done.

By using information and your network creatively, you can cut
through the clutter and make a connection with hiring managers.

That’s what two smart job seekers did, whose stories are below.
What can you learn from each?

1) Get Hired Online by Creating Buzz

Here’s a clever method that got one woman hired for a
director-level position she found advertised on Monster.

Yes, that’s right, Monster, where millions of resumes are
competing against yours for every job opening posted.

She did it by creating buzz about herself that got the hiring
manager’s attention.

Here’s her story, in brief …

“A search on Monster turned up the opening I wanted. I then used
my network to find people who’d refer me. I timed submitting my
resume through the job board with the referrals,” says Barbara
Finer, from suburban Boston, Mass.

Finer’s smart sense of timing ensured that her resume and the
referrals from people in her network all arrived about the same
time.

“The resulting confluence of resources got me on the top of the
pile, and I was hired as Director of Product Marketing at a
Boston-area company,” says Finer.

You can do this, too, in five steps …

1. When you find a job posted online that you really want to
apply for, don’t. First, use your network — especially your
contacts at LinkedIn, Facebook or MySpace — to reach out to
people who work at the target employer.

2. Ask folks to refer your resume to the hiring manager of the
department you want to work for. Give them one specific day to
do so, say, Tuesday.

3. On Tuesday morning, submit your resume to the job posting
online.

4. These multiple, coordinated contacts — from your resume
coming in via the job board and the people in your network
contacting the hiring manager — should generate enough buzz to
get your name on the employer’s radar.

5. From there, it’s up to you to interview and follow up
intelligently. But getting noticed for a job posted on a major
employment web site is half the battle.

2) Get Hired at a Job Fair by Doing Your Homework

One of my clients, Tom W. from Golden Valley, Minn., was just
hired for a new position after attending a Minneapolis Star
Tribune job fair.

The critical success factor for him was one simple thing he did
before the job fair itself: His homework!

Here’s the story …

“I kept up on the local business scene by reading regularly.
In one magazine article, I learned that one company had picked
up 200,000 square feet of office space downtown on a 10-year
lease, and I filed that information away,” says Tom.

When he saw that company’s name listed among the employers at
the job fair he planned to attend, Tom knew he had an effective
conversation starter.

“When I met the hiring manager at the event, I told him what I
knew about their plans to expand, based on my reading. He was
impressed with my knowledge and we really clicked. Everything
went very quickly after that, ending with a job offer a few
days later.”

Here are two ways you can be like Tom, and make a fantastic
first impression at a job fair …

1. Research and find relevant facts about employers before
meeting them.

Good news: All job fairs publish a list of participating
employers before the event, which eliminates guesswork. Simply
research companies that interest you until you find unusual data
about them, their competitors, markets, problems, or
opportunities.

2. Bring notes to the event.

Once you’ve found information that proves your interest in an
employer, jot down notes on 3×5 cards (or in your PDA) and bring
them to the job fair. That way, you can review your notes before
talking to hiring managers, so you can make the best impression,
stand out … and get hired.

Kevin Donlin is creator of TheSimpleJobSearch.com. Since 1996,
he has provided job-search help to more than 11,000 people.
Kevin has been interviewed by USA Today, The Wall Street
Journal, CBS Radio and others.
His free report, The Simple Job Search Manifesto, is found at

Career Related.Com/The Simple Job Search System

copyright (c) 2008 by Kevin Donlin

Ever want to slap your forehead and say,
“Why didn’t I think of that?”

You might, after you discover how one New York man found the
right job, largely as a result of blind luck … or was it
creative smarts?

Read on to judge for yourself and, more importantly, to find
the two lessons that can get you hired, too …

“College prepares you for the real world. That’s what my
guidance counselors told me, anyway,” says Robert Basso of
Hicksville, NY. “I thought a Bachelor of Arts degree was
going to guarantee me a job with great benefits and a pension
after I graduated from college in 1994. Wrong.”

After finding it impossible to get a position, Basso was
reduced to begging for his old college job back — making
sandwiches at a deli on Long Island.

Fortunately, the owners supported Basso’s efforts to find a
job related to his degree, and gave him latitude to promote
himself to employers while at work.

One day, Basso hit upon an idea.

“I decided to wrap every sandwich I prepared with my resume
and include it with the order. I sent out about 75 resumes that
way over three days. Much to my surprise, I got customer
reactions — some nice and some not so nice,” says Basso.

While this may seem like a low-tech equivalent of email spam,
Basso was targeting potential employers in one respect —
geographically. All the sandwich orders went out to office
buildings within a few blocks of the deli. And Basso knew that,
like a fax, his resume would likely be carried to a manager
who could give it their attention.

“I was aiming for any entry-level job, but all the calls I got
were for sales and marketing positions. The resume itself was
pretty standard, but I guess the delivery method was
extraordinary and convinced employers that I knew something
about marketing,” says Basso.

Within two weeks, Basso’s “sandwich” resumes had produced five
job interviews and four offers, one of which he happily accepted
in the marketing department of a health care firm.

Success, right?

Wrong.

“A week before my start date, a human resources manager called
to say their company could not hire me because of budget cuts!
Now I had to beg for my old job back — again,” says Basso.

But, then, another twist …

A few weeks later, Basso’s phone rang. It was the HR manager who
couldn’t hire him.

“She had a new job lead for me. It was for a sales position at a
company run by … her husband,” says Basso.

Perhaps the HR manager felt such remorse about not hiring Basso
that she gave him a break. In any case, because she had already
vetted him for a job, Basso had an edge when her husband’s
company needed another employee.

This is how networking works, by the way. The more people who
know you, trust you, and know what job you’re suitable for, the
shorter your search will be.

Basso met and became trusted by an HR manager who first hired
him, then reneged. But the trusted relationship remained intact
– and led to a new job.

Now. What can you learn from Basso’s unconventional job search?

Two things …

1) Pick a Target Market
While Basso didn’t have a specific job title or employer in
mind, he did have a location — nearby office buildings.

Although I can’t recommend a blind “submarine sandwich” approach
as your first option, geographic targeting can get you hired.

Example: One of my readers, Rod S., from Waterloo, Ontario,
found a job within 31 days after targeting 19 firms within a
5-minute drive of his home, then contacting each with a
customized resume and cover letter. You can do this, too.

2) Reach Your Market in a Compelling Way
Basso decided that sandwiches were a vehicle he could latch
onto for getting his resume to employers. He was right. And
his delivery method was so compelling that it compensated for
the fact that, by his own admission, his resume was rather bland.

Think about what and whom your ideal employers interact with
every day: pizza boxes, flower deliveries, the cleaning lady,
bicycle messengers, billboards, elevators, etc.

What one unconventional way could you deliver your resume and
cover letter to employers? It should be creative, compelling
and, of course, legal. List 10 possibilities then pick one to
test.

Now, go out and make your own luck!

Kevin Donlin is creator of TheSimpleJobSearch.com. Since 1996,
he has provided job-search help to more than 11,000 people.
Kevin has been interviewed by USA Today, The Wall Street
Journal, CBS Radio and others.
His free report, The Simple Job Search Manifesto, is found at

Career Related.Com/The Simple Job Search System