By Margie Warrell
A friend recently shared with me how her husband fell into yearlong depression after he was laid off from his finance job during the global economic meltdown in late 2008. He’d worked hard all his life, thrived on the pressures and challenges of his work, and enjoyed the money he earned. Becoming unemployed for the first time in his life in his midforties was a huge kick in the gut, and one he didn’t cope with very well.
There’s no two ways about it: Losing your job is hard. Whether it has everything to do with your performance, or nothing at all, it’s still hard. However, if you look at job loss, like any setback from an enlarged perspective, you realize that success in life is measured far less by our opportunities than by how we respond to life’s setbacks and challenges.
The story of my friend’s husband one I’ve heard many times. The challenge people in that situation face is in how they handle not only the loss of their job, but the many emotions that it can arise. These range from a sense of humiliation, failure and vulnerability, to anxiety, resentment, and self-pity. Sure, losing your job can be a blow to your back pocket, but it’s often an even bigger blow to your ego and self worth.
Over the last few years millions of people have found themselves involuntarily out of work—too often through no fault of their own. This year, many will again. But whether the reason you lost your job has everything to do with your perceived performance, or absolutely nothing, it’s how you respond in the wake of it that will set you apart from others when it comes to finding a new job. When it comes to a successful job hunt, attitude is everything. A proactive and positive mindset will differentiate you from the masses, making all the difference in how “lucky” you get in an unlucky economy. It will even determine whether you one day look back on this time with some measure of gratitude for what you gained from it—whether it was the chance to re-evaluate your life, spend extra time with your family, teach your kids about budgeting, or to simply re-affirm what matters most.
Confucius said that our natures are alike (i.e. no one likes being sacked), it’s our habits are that separate us.
Below are 7 habits to separate yourself from the pack, move your job application to the top of the pile, and land yourself not only back into a job, but perhaps an even better one than before.
1. Stay future-focused.It’s easy to get stuck in the past and what shoulda-woulda-coulda happened, but didn’t. Doing so only perpetuates destructive emotions that fuel anger, self-pity and powerlessness. Focus on the future, and on what you need to do to set yourself up as well as possible on the job front,in how you are budgeting your money, and in your relationship with those who can help you find a new job. What you focus on expands, so focus on what you want, not on what you don’t.
2. Don’t let your job status you.Sure, losing your job is a very personal experience, but don’t take it too personally. Who you are is not what you do. Never was. Never will be. Research by psychologist Marty Seligman found that the biggest determinant between those who succeed after setbacks of any kind is how they interpret them. People who interpret losing their job as a sign of personal inadequacy or failure are less likely to ‘get back on the horse’ in their job hunt than those who interpret it as an unfortunate circumstance that provided a valuable opportunity to grow in self-awareness, re-evaluate priorities and build resilience. You get to define who you are, not your job or a company’s decision whether or not to employ you. Don’t take it as a personal rejection against you. It may well be due to economic forces far beyond your control that you found yourself out of a job. Potential employers will be more attracted to people who have proven their ability to stay positive and confident despite a setback/job loss.
3. Prioritize self-care.When you’ve lost your job it is all too easy plant yourself on the couch, remote in one hand, beer or bag of chips in the other, and wallow in self-pity. Many do! But mental and emotional resilience requires physical resilience. So be intentional about taking care of YOU and doing whatever it takes to feel strong and fit. (After all, you now have no excuse that you don’t have time for exercise!) Studies have found that exercise increases stress resilience – it produces neurons that are less responsive to stress hormones. Get outdoors, go for a run, do some gardening, or just do something that lifts your spirits – whether building your kids a cubby house or taking your dog to the beach – and helps to shift the negative emotions that have the potential to keep you from being proactive in your job hunt.
4. Surround yourself with positive people.Emotions are contagious. The people around you impact how you see yourself, your situation and what you do to improve it. Be intentional about who you hang out with and don’t get sucked into the vortex of those who want a marathon pity party. It wastesprecious time and energy far better spent getting back into the workforce. Surround yourself with people who lift you up, and avoid those who don’t. Read positive books, watch inspiring movies, and remember that your family will take their cue from you. Let them know that while you may not have chosen your circumstances, you are confident that with time and effort, you will all pull through together, and be all the stronger and wiser or it.
5. Tap your network.The more people who know what you want, the more who can help you get it. The vast majority of jobs are never advertised. So the adage “Your network is your net worth” is particularly relevant when it comes to finding those jobs that are filled via word of mouth. Reach out to people you know and enlist their support in making any introductions or connections that could help you. Whatever you do, never underestimate the power of your network to open up opportunities and land you that “lucky break” you were hoping for.
6. Treat finding a job as a job.If you feel the need, and can afford to do it, give yourself a break for a few days or week or two. But assuming you can’t afford a year sailing the world on the Queen Mary, don’t take too long before returning to your familiar routine. Create structure in your day. Sure you have extra time on your hands than you had before, but you will be amazed at how little you can do in a day if you aren’t intentional about what you want to get done. Create a job search plan with goals and small manageable steps. Then prioritize, structure your day and treat finding a job like a job.
7. Extend kindness.It’s pretty simple really: extending kindness toward others makes us feel good. It’s not just a nice thing to do something for others – whether helping a neighbor or volunteering in a local soup kitchen – it’s actually a helpful thing to do for ourselves. When we give our time to help others, it helps us stop dwelling on our own problems, and makes us realize how much we have to be thankful for. Not only that, but it also can be a great way to build your network, and show potential employers you are not sitting idly by waiting for work to come your way. However you look at it, there’s no better mood booster than making a difference for someone else, even when you wish your own life were different than it is.
Margie Warrell is a bestselling author, executive life coach, media personality, and frequent keynote speaker who empowers women globally to live and lead more courageously. Author of Find Your Courage: 12 Acts for Becoming Fearless in Work and in Life (McGraw-Hill). To learn about other programs that support your living more courageously, please visit http://www.margiewarrell.com/.
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
8 Job Search Tips From the Co-Founder of LinkedIn
Early on in The Start-up of You, Reid Hoffman takes on the sacred cow of career advice books, making it clear that the timeworn exhortations of What Color is Your Parachute?won’t fly in this economy.
“That’s the wrong question,” Hoffman, the co-founder and chairman of LinkedIn writes (with the help of coauthor Ben Casnocha). “What you should be asking yourself is whether your parachute can keep you aloft in changing conditions.”
Hence the central conceit of the book. Just as Detroit’s dinosaurs fell victim to hubris and an inability to adapt, so will you, dear career seeker, if you don’t mimic the nimble startups of Silicon Valley. Though Hoffman and Casnocha see the struggle through the eyes of one percenters (they don’t seem to know anyone who didn’t go to a good college), there’s lots of good advice that you can apply to your own career. We’ve distilled that advice into eight solid tips that you can apply to your job search today.
1. “A Company Hires Me Over Other Professionals Because…”
To answer this question, Hoffman uses the example of Zappos, which focuses on mainstream shoes and clothes. While it might be tempting to adapt the company’s “over-the-top customer service” to other categories as well, that would make Zappos’s unique selling proposition less apparent. “If you try to be the best at everything and better than everyone (that is, if you believe success means ascending one global, mega leaderboard), you’ll be the best at nothing and better than no one,” Hoffman writes. “In other words, don’t try to be the greatest marketing executive in the world; try to be the greatest marketing executive of small-to-midsize companies that compete in the health care industry.”
2. You Don’t Need to “Find Yourself”
Hoffman makes a sharp distinction between his advice and that of Parachute, which, like many self-help books, believes that uncovering your deepest desires is the key to finding your passion. “Contrary to what many bestselling authors and motivational gurus would have you believe, there is not a ‘true self’ deep within that you can uncover via introspection and that will point you in the right direction,” Hoffman writes. “Yes, your aspirations shape what you do. But your aspirations are themselves shaped by your actions and experiences. You remake yourself as you grow and the world changes. Your identity doesn’t get found. It emerges.”
3. Use ABZ Planning
In Hoffman’s formulation, Plan A is what you’re doing right now. Plan B is “what you pivot to when you need to change your goal or your route to getting there.” Plan Z, meanwhile, is your fallback plan. “In business and life, you always want to keep playing the game,” Hoffman writes. “If failure means you end up on the street, that’s an unacceptable failure.”
Hoffman illustrates what he means by Plan Z with a personal anecdote: “When I started my first company, my father offered up an extra room in his house in the event it didn’t work out — living there and finding a job somewhere else to earn money was my Plan Z. This allowed me to be aggressive in my entrepreneurial pursuits, as I knew I could draw my assets down to zero if necessary and still have a roof over my head.” Hoffman writes that if you’re in your twenties and single, working at Starbucks and living with your parents might be a viable Plan Z, but if you’re in your thirties or forties with children, your Plan Z might be cashing in your 401(k).
4. Look at Professional Networking as Dating
Hoffman distinguishes between old-school “networkers” who pursue relationships based on what they think others can do for them and “relationship builders” who think of the other person first. Relationship builders “don’t keep score. They’re aware that many good deeds get reciprocated, but they’re not calculated about it. And they think about their relationships all the time, not just when they need something.” Hoffman likens relationship building to dating. “When you’re deciding whether or not to build a professional relationship with someone, there are many considerations: whether you like him or her; the capacity for the person to help you build your assets, reach your aspirations and position you well competitively and for you to help back in all the same ways,” Hoffman writes. “And, like with dating, you should always have a long-term perspective.”
5. Have Fun Building Relationships
Hoffman writes that networking gets a bad rap because most people don’t enjoy it. “It’s the presumption that building relationships in a professional context is like flossing,” he writes. “You’re told it’s important, but it’s no fun.” To motivate yourself for network building, think of the fact that your happiest memories were probably with someone else. “We’re not suggesting that you have to be an extrovert or life of the party,” he writes. “We just think it’s possible to appreciate the mystery of another person’s life experience. Building relationships is the thrilling if delicate quest to at once understand another person and allow that person to understand you.”
6. Build Your Weak Ties
Despite the limitations of Dunbar’s Number (that your brain can only really handle about 150 people in your network), Hoffman illustrates that the bigger your professional network, the better. For instance, if you have 170 connections on LinkedIn, then you will have, on average 26,200 second-degree connections and more than 2 million that are three degrees away. Having access to all those people can help you in a pinch. Hoffman illustrates this by pointing out that Frank Hannigan, a software entrepreneur in Ireland, raised more than $200,000 in funding in eight days in 2010 by reaching out to his 700 first-degree connections. But 30% of the investors actually were second-degree connections.
7. Pursue Breakout Opportunities
Every once in a while, a great opportunity comes along that might help you leapfrog up the career ladder. For example, George Clooney was a struggling TV actor when he heard about ER in 1994. Clooney “caught wind of an opportunity, hustled to seize it, and catapulted his career to new heights.” Clooney didn’t necessarily know that ER would become as huge as it eventually did. “How did Clooney recognize ER for the breakout opportunity it was?” Hoffman writes. “Well, he was not certain it would be a breakout. You can never be certain.” But ER had “high quality” people on board and the opportunity was a lead role in a major network drama.
Such breakout opportunities may seem like blind luck, but Hoffman writes that you can develop thinking and behaviors that help you recognize when such “luck” appears. One habit is to remain curious about events that happen in your everyday life. For instance, Reed Hastings (the CEO of Netflix) was a software entrepreneur living in Silicon Valley in 1997 when he ran into a problem: Huge fees for returning Apollo 13 late to his video rental store. Hastings then began researching the industry and found DVDs were light and cheap to ship.
You should also be on the lookout for serendipitous meetings. For instance, John D’Agostino, then in his twenties, attended an event in the Waldorf Astoria in New York featuring Vincent Viola, the chairman of the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX). D’Agosino made some remarks that caught Viola’s attention and the two set up a meeting. D’Agostino soon got hired as a manager for special projects on NYMEX and was eventually promoted to vice president of strategy.
8. Be Resilient
Not everyone will appreciate your great idea, but if you really believe in it, you can put up with a lot of adversity. Hoffman offers a great illustration of this idea in Tim Westregen, the founder of Pandora Media. Westregen began working on the idea behind Pandora in 1999. By late 2002, the company was doing so badly that he arrived at his office to find an eviction notice at the door. In late 2003, four former employees sued him over deferred salaries. Over the next year or so, he pitched his idea to investors more than 300 times. “For almost 10 years, Pandora was beaten and battered by lawsuits, unfavorable legislation and the constant threat of bankruptcy,” Hoffman writes. “Remarkably, Tim and his team hung in there.”
Images courtesy of Flickr, joi and Robert Scoble, and iStockphoto, kzenon and Flickr, csztova respectively.
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
3 Tips: Be More Strategic in Your Job Search
In order to be successful in the job hunt, it’s important to be strategic. If you make every move count, you won’t feel burnt out and you’ll be at your best throughout the process. Plus, applying to every online resume form will get you nowhere quick.
In a recent Glassdoor blog post, Vickie Elmer shared her secrets for getting strategic about your job search.
Here are her top tips:
1. Target growing companies. Your best bet is to go after companies that are growing and ambitious, not those with layoffs or high turnover rates. Check out what companies are actively searching for candidates or posting new jobs regularly. Follow industry publications; this can help you see who has acquired a new client or if someone recently suffered a big loss. Look into growing industries—this can help you decipher what kind of companies might be growing. [Check out my blog post on the top fields picking up for 2012.]
2. Look up. “One-third of CFO’s say they will consider hiring someone who is ‘too junior’ for the job opening and train them, according to a Duke University/CFO Magazine survey.” This is a great opportunity for job seekers. Don’t shy away from a job posting that is a bit above your experience. Share what you know with the company and they might be willing to take a chance on you. You should never lie or exaggerate about your qualifications throughout the job process—but you can aspire to positions and work with the company to see if you’re a good fit.
3. Show your growth. Companies are struggling to find the talent they want. 31% of employers currently have jobs for which they can’t find qualified employees according to the jobs outlook surveyfrom Careerbuilder. Make sure that you put all of your relevant skills on display. Comfort or expertise with social media are a huge deal in today’s rapidly-turning digital world. Research the company to find exactly what they are looking for. Show them what you have to offer!
To read Elmer’s entire post, you can find the Glassdoor post here.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Tailor your Resume!
Tailor Your Résumé Without Starting From Scratch
Job hunts are hard work. Looking through job ads, going on interviews and networking take up a lot of your time. So how can you be expected to do all these things and still rewrite your résumé every time you apply for a job?
Well, you are expected to because generic résumés don't impress anybody and surely won't land you a job.
Luckily, you don't have to start with a blank page each time you want to send out your résumé. The key is to edit and rearrange your existing résumé so that it appeals to the employer and saves you time. To make the process a little easier, we've listed some tips for you.
Keep track of your accomplishments.
Rearranging and editing your qualifications is simple if you keep a running list of your accomplishments and skills as you accrue them.
Rearranging and editing your qualifications is simple if you keep a running list of your accomplishments and skills as you accrue them.
Keep an updated list of specific work accomplishments and outcomes you've achieved to make targeting your résumé easier, suggests Dave Gammel of High Context Consulting. As you take on additional roles or lead projects, "create a spreadsheet with the outcomes, job title and employer, plus any other info you want to track them with."
Read carefully.
Applying for a job requires careful reading of the job posting. Many job seekers simply submit a generic résumé and fill out the application as though employers will be happy to have someone apply. The truth, however, is that they don't want to hire just anybody – they want the perfect fit. If you send a résumé that shows how your qualifications mirror the requirements on the posting, you'll grab their attention.
Applying for a job requires careful reading of the job posting. Many job seekers simply submit a generic résumé and fill out the application as though employers will be happy to have someone apply. The truth, however, is that they don't want to hire just anybody – they want the perfect fit. If you send a résumé that shows how your qualifications mirror the requirements on the posting, you'll grab their attention.
The easiest way to do this is to sort through your list of accomplishments and decide which ones are relevant to the position. Once you've established your top accomplishments and skills, use them as the foundation to build your résumé, Gammel says.
The rest of the résumé will fall into place because some of the information cannot be deleted or altered. For example, your education history is going to be the same regardless of where you apply, but it might be at the top of one résumé and at the bottom of another. Depending on how important it is compared to your skills and experience, you can simply drag the information and drop it in place.
Start strong.
In your career summary or career objective, include the job title that's listed on the posting, suggests Kevin Donlin, author of "The Simple Job Search Manifesto."
In your career summary or career objective, include the job title that's listed on the posting, suggests Kevin Donlin, author of "The Simple Job Search Manifesto."
The "key is to make the first words on your résumé match the title of the advertised job. This creates an instant rapport between you and the hiring manager," Donlin says. If you have experience in that position, it can put the reader in the right frame of mind to view the rest of your résumé as a convincing case to consider you for the job.
Be a pack rat.
Each time you submit a résumé that's tweaked a little from a previous version, save it as a different file and note what job it went with. Yes, you'll end up with several copies, but as you read new postings, refer to similar résumés you have on file so you have less to edit. You might be able to make some very minor adjustments before submitting it.
Each time you submit a résumé that's tweaked a little from a previous version, save it as a different file and note what job it went with. Yes, you'll end up with several copies, but as you read new postings, refer to similar résumés you have on file so you have less to edit. You might be able to make some very minor adjustments before submitting it.
Although altering your résumé each time you apply for a job can be frustrating – or just plain boring – it's a necessary step to landing an interview and ultimately a job. One of the benefits of tailoring your résumé is that it allows you to assess how much of your background and skills will be utilized in the position, perhaps giving you a good idea if it's the kind of job you actually want.
"Putting a bit of extra effort can pay off big time and is very reasonable when trying to find a position that is going to occupy most of your waking hours!" Gammel declares.
By: Anthony Balderrama, CareerBuilder.com writer
Anthony Balderrama is a writer and blogger for CareerBuilder.com. He researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues.
Anthony Balderrama is a writer and blogger for CareerBuilder.com. He researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
5 Steps To Connect With People Outside Your Network On LinkedIn
Once you move beyond the generic “add connections” option that LinkedIn has, you might want to specifically search for and increase your connections with people aligned with whatever connection policy you might have. The challenge is that restrictions exist within LinkedIn that may prevent you from inviting others you don’t personally know. You are entitled to try to connect with people without knowing their email address, but once five people respond to your invitation to connect by nothing that they don’t know you, your ability to connect will be restricted.
Once you’ve decided to connect with professionals that aren’t part of your network, chances are you will initially find them by doing advanced people searches. If you are already an experienced user, you’ll likely encounter people you might want to connect with everywhere on LinkedIn. These people often appear on the “people you may know” widget that is featured prominently in the top right-hand corner of your LinkedIn home page and in group discussions. So, once you find someone with whom you’d like to connect, follow these guidelines to complete the connection:
Read the contact settings: There are many people on LinkedIn who aren’t engaged on the platform. They signed up and forgot about their profiles, or they just simply “checked out” for some reason. Some may indicate in their contact settings that they are not open to receiving connections, but, if they include their contact details here, or anywhere else on their profile, you have implicit permission to contact them. If you want to be cautious, first contact them and let them know why you want to connect. Also mention how you can help them. Then ask if you can connect on LinkedIn for a mutually beneficial – and connected – relationship.
“Read” the profile: A LinkedIn profile says a thousand things about someone’s attitude toward online professional networking, and by thoroughly reading the profile, you can determine how active a particular user is on the website. In general, the more active people are on LinkedIn, the more they will understand the value of business networking and thus the more willing they will be to connect if you send a personalized invite.
Warm leads are always the best: As in real life, a “warm” lead, someone your target connection actually knows who can make a personal introduction on your behalf, often leads to the greatest success. Rather than relying on a cold call or email, get in touch with the person who connects the two of you and ask him or her for a formal introduction. If your targeted user is a third-degree connection, find someone who could facilitate an introduction between you and a person who is actually connected to your targeted user. Your eventual goal is to be introduced to your second-degree connection who can then facilitate the introduction with your third-degree connection.
Join the same LinkedIn Group: A simple tactic you can use to contact someone is to join one of his or her LinkedIn Groups. Of course, this only works if your desired contact has the default settings on, which allows group members to send messages to each other. At present, the option to send a message to a group member does not appear as an option when you find a common group member on an advanced people search result; instead, you will be prompted to send an InMail. No worries: Simply navigate to the same Group that you a member of, do a member search, and you will have the option to send a message from that user interface.
Send the “Hail Mary” InMail: InMail is a paid LinkedIn service to contact people who are not first-degree connections, which I consider to be the equivalent of a “Hail Mary” toss in a football game. LinkedIn promotes the use of InMail as being a very effective way to communicate. Currently, non-paying members have the option to purchase InMails a’ la carte for $10 apiece. Though some people might shirk at the idea of paying for such a service, consider it a business investment that may have lucrative potential. Everyone’s experience will be different, so you should at least experiment with the InMail and determine your own ROI.
One final note before reaching out: Don’t forget your manners. Just as you should continue to foster warm leads in the “real” world, you need to do the same online. Don’t forget that, behind every online persona, there is a real person. Whenever you communicate with someone online, you should personalize your communication and give him or her a reason to connect to you. Always remember that manners apply online just as they do offline, and LinkedIn (as well as all social media) is simply an example of new tools, old rules.
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
9 job-hunting tips for Millennials in the PR market
By Ronjini Mukhopadhyay
Millennials are having a rough time in the job market.
Recently I was looking to hire someone and was inundated with responses, some of which left me wondering whether certain respondents had even read the post before firing off an inadequate résumé.
Two things amazed me:
Here is my attempt to give a little boost to millennials applying for PR and marketing jobs and to make things easier for everyone involved in hiring:
Read the entire job listing
Easy enough? Wrong.
I hate to sound like a mom here, but slow down, kiddos. Take the time to read before you apply. Remember, quality over quantity.
To get better results, apply for those jobs that feel closest to your experience, knowledge, and/or interest. As an entry-level applicant, you may not have the experience, but if you can flex your knowledge about the subject presented in the posting, you’ll sound more interesting and go much further.
Remember, much of what PR and marketing professionals do is research, so use this opportunity to show off your researching skills.
Follow directions
If the job posting asks you to include your résumé, references, and a cover letter, do it. If it asks you to include links, do that. This isn’t very hard.
I’ve had conversations about this with other professionals. They agree that we simply don’t have time to go through all those résumés, so the ones that don’t follow the rules get cut first. It’s as simple as that.
If you are lacking in an area and know it, call it out in your email, so that we (employers) know that you’re at least paying attention and you can potentially get to the next round.
Do your research
This can be very beneficial when done right. If you’re getting ready for an interview, be sure to look up the company and its accomplishments beforehand.
Check out its client list, and see whether you have any connections there.
Check out on LinkedIn the people who will be interviewing you. If you don’t know for sure, take time to check out the company employees. If you’re not well versed in the company focus, familiarize yourself with key words, current trends (this is as easy as Googling or looking it up on Wikipedia), and even check out their social media sites to see what they have been talking about.
Stay busy
The big worry in today’s economy is that there aren’t any jobs. That’s not entirely true; what’s lacking is money. In the meantime, keep yourself busy.
Volunteer your skills to a nonprofit organization that interests you. Approach companies similar to the one you’d like to work for, and let them know you’d like to intern. Get involved in your community, church, or local events. Take on projects for friends, relatives, or family friends. Write, write, and write some more.
The great thing about the digital age is that anyone can publish a blog. There are tons of opportunities to write and contribute. Determine some areas that interest you, and go for it. This way, when you apply, we can see that you are not an idle person and that you have been gaining experience in alternative ways.
Pay attention to details
As easy as that may sound, when we get caught up in the speed of life and begin to feel rushed, things slip. This may not be intentional, but in the job market you have only one opportunity to make a first impression. Pay attention to your résumé and your cover letter. Spell-check. Twice. And understand that spell-check doesn’t catch missing or misused words. Highlight your accomplishments
Make sure you highlight the notable accomplishments in your résumé. Did you secure media coverage? Double the number of Twitter followers? Develop an internal communications policy for your nonprofit organization?
Regardless of whether you’re getting paid, these are accomplishments that your potential employer would be happy to hear about. You can list it under your positions or, better yet, create an area for accomplishments near the top of your résumé, so they are visible and not scattered throughout.
Network
Networking comes back to you at the most unexpected times. There are plenty of events to attend and people with whom you can talk.
If you’re not already networking in your local Public Relations Society of America, Social Media Club, or marketing association, get on Meetup.com and head to some events. When you go, bring something to offer—and a business card. Give yourself a networking goal of a number of people to connect with.
Also, start networking on LinkedIn and Twitter. On LinkedIn, send personalized notes, join groups, and comment on different industry topics. On Twitter, follow people you admire, news agencies, and trends.
Above all, always follow up.
Dress for success
This applies to networking, interviews, chats with your mentor, and anything else that involves your professional life. Dress the part.
You may not need to go to networking events in a full business suit, but dress like you’re serious about something. Appearance matters, especially in PR and marketing. You’d be surprised what a clean appearance can do, especially if your competition is, well, less buttoned up.
Think about your career
If you have yet to find a position, you have time for this. Take some time to think about your career and what you want it to look like.
It’s OK if the position you accept today doesn’t last the rest of your life—employers understand that—but make sure you have some goals in mind. Make sure that with any employment you take, you can learn and grow from it in some way. (That way may be different from what you expect now.) Stay enthusiastic about your future prospects, and always ask questions.
As for my hiring process, I found someone who got the inside track beforehand. Now you have it, too. Good luck with your search, and keep your mind open to new possibilities.
Ronjini Mukhopadhyay is a public relations professional with eight years of experience in both agency and in-house public relations. A version of this story first appeared on her company websiteThe Silver Telegram.
Millennials are having a rough time in the job market.
Recently I was looking to hire someone and was inundated with responses, some of which left me wondering whether certain respondents had even read the post before firing off an inadequate résumé.
Two things amazed me:
1. The number of responses. Within one hour, I got at least 20 résumés. Pretty impressive speed the kids have these days. It also means there are hungry employees out there.
2. The quality of responses. Though there were clearly some candidates who possessed high quality and professionalism, a larger number didn’t know how to follow directions or write a good cover letter.
Here is my attempt to give a little boost to millennials applying for PR and marketing jobs and to make things easier for everyone involved in hiring:
Read the entire job listing
Easy enough? Wrong.
I hate to sound like a mom here, but slow down, kiddos. Take the time to read before you apply. Remember, quality over quantity.
To get better results, apply for those jobs that feel closest to your experience, knowledge, and/or interest. As an entry-level applicant, you may not have the experience, but if you can flex your knowledge about the subject presented in the posting, you’ll sound more interesting and go much further.
Remember, much of what PR and marketing professionals do is research, so use this opportunity to show off your researching skills.
Follow directions
If the job posting asks you to include your résumé, references, and a cover letter, do it. If it asks you to include links, do that. This isn’t very hard.
I’ve had conversations about this with other professionals. They agree that we simply don’t have time to go through all those résumés, so the ones that don’t follow the rules get cut first. It’s as simple as that.
If you are lacking in an area and know it, call it out in your email, so that we (employers) know that you’re at least paying attention and you can potentially get to the next round.
Do your research
This can be very beneficial when done right. If you’re getting ready for an interview, be sure to look up the company and its accomplishments beforehand.
Check out its client list, and see whether you have any connections there.
Check out on LinkedIn the people who will be interviewing you. If you don’t know for sure, take time to check out the company employees. If you’re not well versed in the company focus, familiarize yourself with key words, current trends (this is as easy as Googling or looking it up on Wikipedia), and even check out their social media sites to see what they have been talking about.
Stay busy
The big worry in today’s economy is that there aren’t any jobs. That’s not entirely true; what’s lacking is money. In the meantime, keep yourself busy.
Volunteer your skills to a nonprofit organization that interests you. Approach companies similar to the one you’d like to work for, and let them know you’d like to intern. Get involved in your community, church, or local events. Take on projects for friends, relatives, or family friends. Write, write, and write some more.
The great thing about the digital age is that anyone can publish a blog. There are tons of opportunities to write and contribute. Determine some areas that interest you, and go for it. This way, when you apply, we can see that you are not an idle person and that you have been gaining experience in alternative ways.
Pay attention to details
As easy as that may sound, when we get caught up in the speed of life and begin to feel rushed, things slip. This may not be intentional, but in the job market you have only one opportunity to make a first impression. Pay attention to your résumé and your cover letter. Spell-check. Twice. And understand that spell-check doesn’t catch missing or misused words. Highlight your accomplishments
Make sure you highlight the notable accomplishments in your résumé. Did you secure media coverage? Double the number of Twitter followers? Develop an internal communications policy for your nonprofit organization?
Regardless of whether you’re getting paid, these are accomplishments that your potential employer would be happy to hear about. You can list it under your positions or, better yet, create an area for accomplishments near the top of your résumé, so they are visible and not scattered throughout.
Network
Networking comes back to you at the most unexpected times. There are plenty of events to attend and people with whom you can talk.
If you’re not already networking in your local Public Relations Society of America, Social Media Club, or marketing association, get on Meetup.com and head to some events. When you go, bring something to offer—and a business card. Give yourself a networking goal of a number of people to connect with.
Also, start networking on LinkedIn and Twitter. On LinkedIn, send personalized notes, join groups, and comment on different industry topics. On Twitter, follow people you admire, news agencies, and trends.
Above all, always follow up.
Dress for success
This applies to networking, interviews, chats with your mentor, and anything else that involves your professional life. Dress the part.
You may not need to go to networking events in a full business suit, but dress like you’re serious about something. Appearance matters, especially in PR and marketing. You’d be surprised what a clean appearance can do, especially if your competition is, well, less buttoned up.
Think about your career
If you have yet to find a position, you have time for this. Take some time to think about your career and what you want it to look like.
It’s OK if the position you accept today doesn’t last the rest of your life—employers understand that—but make sure you have some goals in mind. Make sure that with any employment you take, you can learn and grow from it in some way. (That way may be different from what you expect now.) Stay enthusiastic about your future prospects, and always ask questions.
As for my hiring process, I found someone who got the inside track beforehand. Now you have it, too. Good luck with your search, and keep your mind open to new possibilities.
Ronjini Mukhopadhyay is a public relations professional with eight years of experience in both agency and in-house public relations. A version of this story first appeared on her company websiteThe Silver Telegram.
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