Behind the Curtain - Large Companies

As we approach the holiday season, it seems like more and more people are looking for new opportunities. It might have to do with explaining what you do over and over again to your relatives and then you realizing that it is getting harder for you to put a positive spin to your job. OR have you hit the the limit with  your overbearing boss doesn't understand what the word "holiday" means? OR did you just realize that you are about to enter another year still not doing what you wanted to do with your career? OR you looked in the mirror and see that your right pupil is moving closer and closer to your nose as a result of over exposure to spread sheets? Whatever it is, don't waste anymore time, 2011 is almost here and it is time to make some changes!

Like many things in life, the more you know about all sides of a process, the more effective you are when trying to get things done within that process (does that make sense?). Why do you think most athletic coaches were once players OR why most sports broadcasters were once coaches ? Why in the PR world are those former reporters or journalist much better media pitchers?

So here we go, I am going to let the cat out of the bag. What actually happens when you submit your resume for a position? What about when you send your resume to a general "job" inbox? What if there are no posted positions at a company but you want to work there? Or what is an appropriate relationship with a recruiter and how many times can you actually reach out to them? Let's find out!!

Every company and every recruiter is going to be a little different (I know, not helpful) but as a rule of thumb I think you can probably break down the recruitment side of your job search into 2 categories. The large, everyone want to work there companies and the small to mid-sized and sometimes less organized companies. These are going to be 2 very different experiences with 2 very different approaches.

Let's start BIG - PepsiCo, Google, Edelman, Whole Foods, McKinsey, Ernst and Young, Booz Allen,  Microsoft, Alflac Etc...

• Applicant Tracking System AKA a computer run data base that will knock you out of consideration if you don't meet the minimum requirements (degree, GPA, correctly fill out the application). You probably notice that when you apply for a position you have fill out a long detailed form, you might be asked questions, you might have rank things, etc.  The system will be the first set of eyes on your resume. You will typically have to apply to a specific job so make sure when you fill out your application, you know what job you are applying for. ADVICE: First, don't apply to every job at the company, when I used to see that we would automatically decline that person because is was so foolish. Second, Pay attention and DO NOT make any mistakes here or you might never get past this round.

• Human Eyes If you pass through the first round, your resume will then be viewed by human eyes. And when I say viewed, I mean skimmed over for about 3 seconds. Large companies receive hundreds/thousands of resumes so recruiters typically only have seconds to see your resume. ADVICE: So stand out. Highlight the most relevant aspects of your resume and draw the recruiters eye to them. Ask a friend to skim your resume and see what stands out. If they don't see what you want the recruiter to see, don't submit your resume yet. 

• Automated E-Mail Once your resume is in, you will also receive an automated e-mail that says "We have received your e-mail and will be in touch if you are being considered." Many people ask me if they should contact the recruiter to make sure they received the resume... NOTHING would piss me off more. ADVICE:  If you receive that e-mail, take it as a sign to find a more creative way in, recruiter is probably not the way to go. If I was you, i would go to LinkedIn and find someone at the company that can help you get in the door (someone from your home town, someone that went to your Alma mater, someone that was in your sorority/fraternity, someone that is a friend of a friend). Referrals are typically all receive an curtsy interview. 

Check back tomorrow for advice on how to apply for a job as a small-mid sized firm. You would be surprised how different the process is.

Great Places for Job Search Tips

Today, I thought I would recognize some others in my field who have their own perspectives about the job search. While sometimes I think I know it all, I forget that every recruiter is a little different. If you want to get some other perspectives, check out these sites and people!!

• Brazen Careerist : http://www.brazencareerist.com/
• 1to1 Discovery : http://1to1discovery.com/
• Resumark Blog: http://www.resumark.com/blog/
• Public-Relations Daily: http://paper.li/leeodden/public-relations
• Minnesota Headhunter: http://www.mnheadhunter.com/
• Jobacle: http://www.jobacle.com/homepage2/
• Recruiting in 3D: http://recruitingin3d.wordpress.com/
• Classroom to Cubicle: http://classroomtocubicle.com/
• Hush Recruiter: http://hushrecruiter.com/
• Job Search: http://jobsearch-rsc.blogspot.com/

Here are some Twitters to follow:

• @jessbayerdc
• @ewmonster
• @talentsynch
• @kbaumann
• @hushrecruiter
• @dennissmith
• @ryanleary
• @bengotkin
• @radicalrecruit

Hashtags

• #careerchat
• #happo
• #prstudchat
• #commschat
• #careertips
• #jobadvice

I will continue to update his post as more people are suggested and come to my attention.

Cover Letter DON'Ts

I have been going back and forth on whether to write on the topic of cover letters and finally decided to pull the trigger. People need to know the truth about cover letters because I think there is a common misconception that the information in your cover letter should be the same as that in your resume. WRONG. Why would I need 2 documents that say the same thing?

Your cover letter is an opportunity for you to show some personality and tell me what I can't get from your resume. It is an opportunity to take your list of accomplishments (your resume) and make it more personal. I want to hear a story, your story, and how your story relates to my company and the position you are interested in. If you do this well, your cover letter can help you.

That being said, I need to tell you the truth. I only read about 5% of cover letters. To me, your resume gives me the overview of your career history I need and from there I can typically determine if I would consider you for a position at my company. On the rare occasion (about 5% of the time) I am on the fence. That is when I turn to the cover letter. If you don't have one, you go directly into the reject pile, so you should have a cover letter. If you tell a good story and don't make the common cover letter mistakes below, I will usually interview you.

In no particular order..

• DON'T  Use a Template to write your cover letter. Every cover letter should be written from scratch. If I can tell you cut and pasted my company's name and and job title to a generic cover letter... trash can, here you come. I want to know specifics of how your background relates to my company/job. I want to know you did your research and you bring something unique to the table. Stand out!
• DON'T  Write a novel. Like resumes, I get a ton. I need to be able to quickly and easily read your cover letter. Avoid writing lengthy paragraphs; boring! Short, sweet and to a unique point. Keep me interested throughout and I might actually read to the end... which leads into my next point
• DON'T  Waste your first paragraph by writing a boring introduction. Use the first paragraph to grab the my attention. Treat this like a press release, excite me from the beginning.
• DON'T Spell the name of the person you are addressing and/or the company you are interviewing for wrong. You would be surprised. I would say about 10% of people spelled Burson-Marsteller wrong and don't even get me started with Qorvis. There is no "U". Strange, I know, but it is very clear on our website that it doesn't exist. Quorvis = Trash. Oh, and my name is Jessica, not Jennifer. I know, confusing, they both start with a J.
• DON'T Address the cover letter "To Whom it May Concern". Guess what, it is 2010 and don't act like you have never stalked someone online. Find the appropriate persons name to address the letter. Look on the website or on LinkedIn, it is there. I also don't want to be called "Human Resources Personnel" Vomit!
• DON'T Wait for me to take action to get back to you. The cover letter is a good chance to request action. Request an interview, and tell the me when you will follow up, and then follow up. It shows initiative.
• DON'T Focus on what you want. By me receiving a resume and cover letter from you, I can pretty much figure out what you want. Use this chance to tell me the value you can bring to me and explain why I want you.
• DON'T Appear desperate. This is like dating. No one wants to date someone because they feel sorry for them. I don't want to hear how you lost your job or how you haven't heard back from many companies. If you are telling me that no one else has wanted to interview you, why would I?
• DON'T Have any grammatical mistakes - 1 grammatical mistake in a resume or cover letter and your candidacy was over before it even started. This is your first impression, take your time and make it good.

So all in all, impress me! Be smart, clever, funny, whatever shows me who you are. 95% of the time I won't actually find that out by reading your cover letter, but if I decide to read it, it is there and was written well.  

Networking - It's a Verb (Part 2) Sustaining a Mutually Beneficial Network

As I mentioned in my last post, the key to networking is 2 fold, BUILDING and SUSTAINING a mutually beneficial relationship. We covered building a network in depth so let's focus on sustaining these relationships. There are 4 ways you should think about sustaining your relationship (set goals, reciprocate relationships, organize and update your network). There is some overlap here but if you can begin to adopt these best practices and the way you think and see each person as an opportunity to learn something and to teach something, you'll be amazed at how your network will expand.

Set Goals - So, you have started going to social events, you have joined groups, built an online portfolio but how to you sustain them? It is hard and time consuming, SO if you want to maximize these relationships, you have to set goals.

• Personal Contact - I have a goal of meeting with at least 2 new people every week. We grab coffee, go to lunch, have a drink or just talk on the phone. These 2 connections could end up being much more valuable than all of my weekly and day to day tasks but if I didn't set these goals, I could see myself getting swamped with other work and putting these meetings on the back burner.
• Set and stick to goals of personal contact with new people.  Base the number of meeting on your overall annual goal.
• Timely Follow Up - Oh, how I have flash backs to writing thank you notes when I was younger. My mom would nag me day after day to write thank you notes for Christmas and next thing I knew, it was February, and I still hadn't written thank you notes (sorry mom). By the time I would get a thank you note to a relative, I would have forgotten what they got me and would write a general thank you note. I am sure they appreciated my, "Thank you for the gift, I love it some much, I use it all the time, it's so much fun, etc" when they actually gave me a gift card for a one time manicure... smooth.
• Set a goal to follow up with every new person you came in contact with across a week by the end of the week and make your contact personal so that person will remember you.

Reciprocate a Relationship - In addition to being genuine when establishing relationships that will help you professionally or personally, it is crucial that you view these relationships as reciprocal.

• A way to reciprocate in networking is by thinking about the interests of the people you know and how you might be able to help them. For example, as you take an inventory of your network, you might recall that a friend from college is a marathon runner and so is one of your coworkers who was talking at the water cooler about a really great package on an upcoming marathon. Contact that person from college and let them know about it. Another contact loves cooking and there is a great new blog, tell them about it. Keep things relevant and personal to help others as much as you would want to be helped. When I have a candidate randomly congratulate me on an LSU football win ESPECIALLY when they went to another SEC school, nothing can make me happier. I immediately go back through my notes, remember who they are and will never forget! 

Organize your Network - Now that you have created an inventory of the people you know, get organized so you can use that network effectively.

• Take all of the names you have just generated and enter them into a database that works for you. Note how you know each person, where and when you were last in touch and a general overview of your relationship. Keeping in touch and maintaining that relationships can be time-consuming, but it is critical to keeping people as part of your network. This is where you should house information that will help you be reciprocal in a relationship and/or give you a good excuse to reach out to someone if you do need something. Keeping this information easily accessable will also help if you want to send holiday cards/e-mails as a way to stay on peoples minds.

Update your Network- Back to, if people don't know what you are doing or what you want, they can't help you. Keep your network up to date with any change in your organization, your work status, your contact details, etc. Broadcast it. Use these life changes as another opportunity to remind your network that you are there.

Networking - It's a Verb* (Part 1)

I was enjoying a few too many glasses of wine with my fabulous wine club last night and we began talking about things we all wished we could do better. As a group of very successful professional women from many different professions (fundraising, lobbying, non-profit financial planning, online strategy, public relations, etc..)  I listened intently and was blown away by the commonality we all had.

Regardless of or profession, industry, company... Every one of us bases our success in our professions on our ability to strategically network effectively. And so.. we have a great topic this week, How to Network Effectively!

"Strategic networking prepares us for serendipitous moments. When we are confident of our ability to meet people, we are more likely to be open to chance encounters and convert them to mutually beneficial relationships"

So, what is "strategic networking" and why is it so important? By simple definition, networking is the art of building and sustaining a mutually beneficial relationships. There are 3 VERY important words in that definition (well 4 since mutually beneficial is 2 words.. but you know what I mean).

The art of BUILDING (going to the right places, meeting the right people, initiating the right conversations) and SUSTAINING (Follow through and follow up) MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL relationships (the most effective networkers build relationships prior to actually needing them creating a relationship. Networking is much more difficult when you need something from someone and they are getting nothing in return).

Let's get started: How to Build a Mutually Beneficial Network:


1)   People have to like you:

          You must understand the fundamental techniques in handling people. I turn to genius, Dale Carnegie, for his guidance here. If you want to master the art of human interaction, read How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie, it changed my life.  
       
    6 ways to make people like you: (via Mr. Carnegie)

• Become genuinely interested in other people
• Smile (even when you are on the phone.. you can tell)
• Remember that a persons name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language
• Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk about themselves
• Talk in terms of the other person's interests
• Make the other person feel important - and do it sincerely

2)   Find and Be found ONLINE - and use these tools to find others:

          If no one knows about your skills, talents, and projects, who's going to help you make the best of them? You must be out there so you can be found. Once you are found, you need to be responsive.

• Social Sites
•  LinkedIn - You would think my blog is sponsored by LinkedIn since I rave about the site, but it is just true. As I mentioned in my last post, create a detailed profile and state your networking goals in your profile summary.
• Twitter - Make sure your "description" includes key words that will help with your networking goals. Follow people who it might make sense to network with and create lists to manage the people you follow.
• Facebook - A lot of people use facebook for personal reasons but it is still important to have your professional profile posted. Another way people can find you.

          If someone reaches out to you to network, review their profile and if they are legitimate have a conversation. You would be surprised by how many informational conversations can turn out to be rewarding. Obviously if someone reaches to you, they might want something from you so be sure you get something from them.


3) Find and Be found LIVE - and use these events to find others

• Attend Events
• Living in a city like DC, there are about 100 networking events you can attend every night but let's face it, most of them are crap. It is important that you find out which groups/events are worth attending. Word of mouth is obviously the best way but there is also trial and error. Talk to people who attend different events and get recommendations AND go out a try a few. Keep track and go back to worth while events. A number of "members only" groups will allow you to attend the first event for free, you just have to ask. This website highlights good events in DC, your city should have one as well. www.clotureclub.com/events/
• Play golf
• The people on the golf course are typically the people you want to meet. Here is a great article to read (it is directed to HR professionals but is beneficial for everyone. http://bonnieolist.blogspot.com/
• Join Groups and attend meetings
• Joining social groups like your alumni association, junior league, wine clubs, book clubs, etc and professional organizations are a great way to casually make friends and meet new people who have similar interests as you.

4) Use your friends - we can all be Real Estate Agents

          We often forget that our beer buddies, softball team, girls night out group AKA FRIENDS are a great resource to tap into. I know it can be awkward to turn the switch of personal to professional, but just do it. Send an email out to your entire personal network and explain your networking goals. Ask for suggestions and lay everything out on the table. These people are already your friends and will surprisingly end up being very helpful.
          Real estate agents do this, why can't you? Just think about it, how many real estate agent friends do you have? I know, I have 3. How do I know that? Because I get pinged with an email, a letter, a Christmas card, a magnetic football schedule with their face on it, etc... at least 4 times a year. And if I was looking for a house and/or  knew someone that was, I would use/suggest these 3 people. Now, how many PR friends do I have, what about sales friends, how about technology geeks... no idea. Back to the whole idea, if no one knows about your skills, talents, and projects, who's going to help you make the best of them?

OK, attention spans are now officially lost. Hopefully these suggestions have helped you think about building a network. I am going to end here and pick up next time with sustaining a mutually beneficial network. If there are any topics under networking you would like me to cover, let me know!

REMEMBER, NETWORKING IS NOT: about selling anything, getting a job, receiving a donation, or securing funding. Networking is also NOT "schmoozing" which suggests you trying to get something without giving anything. In other words, it's not the mutually beneficial relationships that you build through networking.

*Disclaimer: my friend C-i-n-d-i (that's Cindy with an I) came up with the name of this blog.

LinkedIn - Why?

So, everyone is telling you to be on LinkedIn, but how do you use it effectively and why should you be on it?

LinkedIn www.linkedin.com was created as a business networking tool and can be leveraged to:

• Find and meet recruiters/potential employers
• Grow a referral network
• Conduct competitive intelligence research
• Identify potential clients
• Build business relations with current clients
• Educate yourself on organizations, associations and competitors
• Heighten your corporate and/or personal brand

Who wouldn't want to take advantage of these opportunities? So let's get started and make sure you build a profile/network that effectively captures everything!

Build your Network

• Add all  of your jobs, schools, degrees, certifications, associations, groups and interests to your profile. Be brief in your descriptions but be sure to include keywords that describe what you do/have done.  Be clear/concise about your position descriptions. By skimming your description, readers should understand what you do or have done.
• Seek out and connect with everyone you know who is already a LinkedIn user. Search colleagues, classmates, fellow members of associations, friends, etc.
• Join groups of interest and/or start your own group.

Grow your Network

• Get all of the business cards you've every collected out of that dusty drawer and connect. Be sure to explain that you came across their business card and thought it would make sense to stay connected via LinkedIn. If you have someones name or e-mail address, you can find them.

Build your Brand

• State your networking goals in your profile summary.
• Ask for endorsements - these are "Testimonials" about you. They are critical in developing trust and using your network. This can be awkward to ask for so write a recommendation for someone else and then ask them to write one for you.
• Include links to your Twitter, Facebook, Blog, Company, etc.

Build Trust

• It is OK to accept invitations to connect with friends, acquaintances, former co-workers, clients and fellow alumni but not from complete strangers (unless of course yo have established some common ground or mutually beneficial networking goals).
• If you haven't met someone and would like to connect with them, send them an email via LinkedIn explaining why you would want to connect with them. Include how you think you would both benefit from your connection.

Be Found

• Set your preferences to receive invites and direct contacts
• Make sure all of your email addresses are in your profile. Yes, even the really old, expired ones. You don't have to make them all public but if some old buddy of yours from three jobs ago has only that old address for you, they will still be able to find you.
• Consider adding your email and/or phone number in the contact settings. You can add it to the section called "What advice would you give to users considerings contacting you?" that way it's not out there for everyone but those who need it can find it.
• At the bottom of your profile in the Interests section, add the top 50 words that best describe what you want to be found for.

Once you set up your profile, it is smart to frequently visit your page and make sure everything is up to date. Feel free to start out connecting with me! http://www.linkedin.com/in/bayerrecruiting

10 Things NOT to do in an Interview.

I don't know if it is because I spend most of my day skimming resumes or because I have a short attention span but breaking down things into Top 10's is so much more fun to read. So here you are, the 10 thing you should NOT do in an interview!

DON'T

10. Be rude to the receptionist - I often think people under estimate the power the front desk receptionist has. They screen calls, regulate strange guests, plan events and in general, make your life easier. At my last job, I had a candidate come in who was ridiculously rude to the receptionist, demanding she get off a call to get him water, call his assistant and get her to do something, etc. Anyway.. shortly after I interviewed him, my phone rang and I knew exactly who it was. Boy did our receptionist tell me how she felt about the candidate. As she was talking I was picturing all of those blocked calls getting through, strange guests showing up at my office and an event never running smoothly again. I assured our receptionist I would never consider him for a job (not to mention I would never want to work with someone like that), and I didn't.

9. Have a poor handshake - What a way to get off on the wrong foot. I shake peoples hands all day and I have nightmares about when that simple task goes wrong. When I shake your hand, I don't want it to be so limp that I feel like you want me to kiss the top of your hand (ya'll know what I am talking about) OR think that you are reenacting some sort of fraternity/sorority handshake. And, the sweaty palm... gross, how am I supposed to get your sweat off my hand without being obviously rude... so instead, I will spend the rest of the interview thinking about your sweat drying on my palm. Before you have the receptionist call me, go wash your hands and pull it together. A strong hand shake shows confidence, poise and professionalism.

8. Wear too much perfume or cologne -  We will likely be in a small room or office for 30 minutes together. Too much perfume or cologne is intoxicating. I once had a hiring manager tell me that he couldn't remember one word the candidate said because he was trying not to gag the whole time. Keep the fragrance light or go all natural (soap).

7. Ask about benefits - Why am I going to waste my time telling you about benefits when you don't even have the job? Why would I want to tell you about all of the money I spend on employees when you aren't even one? Don't jump the gun. Save this conversation for the offer stage.

6. Ask about vacation days - So you haven't even started and you want to take off??? That makes me confident about your work ethic. Again, let's keep these questions to the offer stage, and if you are disappointed about the amount of vacation days when you get to the offer stage, negotiate (shoot, I shouldn't have said that).

5. Talk negatively about past employer/manager - Good rule of thumb, don't be negative AT ALL in an interview but this one really gets to me. I have had candidates tell me about their horrible bosses from their last 3 jobs. That just makes me think something is wrong with you. If there actually was a sketchy situation with a past employer, interview, not the time to bring it up. Be honest but don't reveal too much information.

4. Express any form of profiling - So what I mean, don't express judgement on any types of people, location, school, degree, etc. Examples: I had a candidate tell me that he lived with 2 redneck southerners who talked like hicks... I wanted to ask their names because I might be related to them. Another candidate started talking crap about how dumb people are with State School educations, especially if they study something like communications, I slowly turned my head towards my LSU Mass Communications degree on the wall, awkward.

3. Dress Provocatively - You know the phrase "Flaunt it if you got it"... well, not always the case. Low cut shirts and tights pants are inappropriate. I don't care if you are meeting with all men, ladies, don't do it! You will be the talk of the office but not in the way you want. You might get a date out of it but not a job. (hmmm, I wonder if anyone interviews purely to meet high powered men...) 

2. Talk about your personal life when asked a professional question - There are so many common questions that could be asked in an interview. Be prepared to answer them and answer them in a way that show how your experience relates to the job you are interviewing for. I once asked a junior level candidate if he could go back to college and do one thing over, what would it be? I was expecting, take more leadership roles, more internships, etc. He told me he wouldn't have dated his high school girlfriend for the first year of college. It effected his ability to make friends, join the right fraternity, etc. Really? Really? Wow....

1. And finally, DON'T: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AMgagxCvZQ