The Daily Machete
Cutting through the jungle one day at a time.
Blog TopList
Subscribe by RSS
The Daily Machete
NETWORKING: Planting Your Networking Seeds
Gardens don't magically appear with fruits and veggies fully formed and ready to pick.
Ditto with networking.
It's a process. And if you want to grow a fruitful plant, then you have to plant the seed first.
Ditto with networking.
Research who you want to contact. You may not know what type of tomato you'd like to plant, but you can research the varieties to find the right kind. The same holds true with networking. Conduct a little research to find valuable potential networking contacts. LinkedIn and even your local business section can be good sources of information.
Plan who you want to contact. An unplanned garden will not be as fruitful as one that is. Now that you've conducted research on potential networking contacts, it's time to determine who might be the most beneficial to your professional aspirations AND who you could provide the most benefit TO.
Get referred. It's always easier to meet someone if you're introduced by someone who knows you both. Prior to making first contact, ask your contact in common to speak to the potential contact on your behalf. This will provide the lube you'll need.
Make contact. Once you've been referred, it's time to make contact. A proven way to start the conversation is to mention your associate in common, then talk about why you wanted to meet him/her and what you have to offer.
RESUMES: Professional References
One of the most common topics that job seekers ask me about is professional references. They ask about professional references so often, in fact, that we'll need a few Monday posts to really answer all of the questions.
The first - and most common question about professional references is this: "How do I give employers my references?" Let's look at the options:
References available upon request. You've written that at the bottom of your resume. Come on. Admit it. We all have. That statement has been at the bottom of resumes for as long as resumes have been around. It's typically used in the place of "The End" or "I'm done writing now." It's a throw-away line. OF COURSE you will supply your professional references to an employer when asked. If this statement is still on your resume, then take it off.
Attaching list of references. A better course is to provide a listing of your professional references when submitting your resume. The list of your professional references should contain their titles, companies, phone and email addresses.
Reference letters. Scanning your letters of reference allows you to submit them electronically and to have them handy in case you need to print out more copies. Reference letters show that professionals thought highly enough of you to take the time to laud you. That's as good as gold.
Link to online kudos. Another great method to provide your professional references to employers is to add a link to your LinkedIn.com profile so they can see what others have said about you and how many people have taken the time to give you props. Again, this is as good as gold.
INTERVIEWING: Make Hiring Managers Like You
Job interviews are sales calls.
Popular wisdom would have you believe that you have to sell yourself during job interviews. But that wisdom is wrong.
It's wrong because we don't usually buy goods or services. We buy relationships. Even with something like toothpaste, most consumers are brand loyal based upon a perceived relationship.
In other words, we buy from those whom we like. So it's a good idea to make hiring managers like you quickly, then leverage that newly forged relationship. You can get hiring managers to like you pretty quickly with:
Promptness. Always show up 10 to 15 minutes early, because it's better for you to wait than those who interview you. If there's any paperwork, then you can use the time to complete it. If not, you have time to make small talk with the receptionist.
Greeting. A firm yet comfortable handshake, solid eye contact when introducing yourself and a smile. Those three things, when used simultaneously, will allow you to go far in life. They're also a great way to appear likable.
Preparedness. Bring a notebook and two pens (the first won't work and you looks bad when you borrow one). Also bring AT LEAST two more copies of your resume than the number of people with whom you expect to interview (in case you're thrown into a surprise panel interview).
Address by name. There is no sound sweeter than the sound of one's own name. When you use someone's name, they will like being around you, thus like you. Address the interviewer(s) by name every so often. Write the interviewer(s) name(s) at the top of the first sheet of your notebook to help you remember.
Courtesy. Manners are a hallmark of professionalism. Thanking those interviewing you when you start and again when you end will show them that you're likable. And, to reinforce their good feelings about you, be sure to send a hand written thank you card (one for each person who interviewed you) within 24 hours of the job interview.
PARETO: Make It Easier and Quicker
Most of my in-person clients follow my advice. Most, for instance, batch and limit their online scouring. Some, however, could make their job search easier - and more efficient - by:
RSS and bookmarks. Instead of running the same query for the same jobs on the same sites every day, save your searches as bookmarks. Or, if you prefer, grab the RSS feed. This can save you a LOT of time - particularly if you have a slow computer and/or hit a lot of sites.
Create a template. There is absolutely no sense reinventing the wheel. Since you're probably looking for the same two or three jobs, you might as well have a cover letter template set up for each job. This way, you can plug in where or from whom you learned about the job and the employer's contact information.
Get into the groove. One of the reasons batching your tasks together works so well is that you get into a groove. Your brain is running in a linear path. That means you're focused and ideas will come much quicker. And that's a good thing.
NETWORKING: What's Your Online Profile Say About You?
LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.
Those are the hot social networking sites currently and some professionals treat them almost the same. Should you?
Same status update or different? Some of my contacts are connected with me on all three social networks. And their status updates are the exact same on all three. I'm not a fan of that since LinkedIn is for professional networking, Facebook is less professional and more personal, and Twitter can go in any direction.
Consistency. Those who post the same status updates across all their social networks are obviously trying to show consistency. And that's good. I choose to be network-consistent: I have the same fun tone for all of my Facebook updates; I put on my professional hat when writing LinkedIn updates; and I toggle between the two tones on Twitter.
Pictures. I'm generally very leery of pictures on social networks. A 30-something associate has hundreds of pictures of herself on Facebook, and in all of them she looks posed and attempts to look sexy. What does that say about her? Even though she isn't nude in these pictures, potential employers may not respect her enough to give her an interview, because they won't be able to take her seriously.
Groups. I join groups on LinkedIn so that I can help my in-person job seeker clients...and also to get educated in different fields. LinkedIn groups are pretty safe for your online life; employers like to see that you're a member of a few groups. Facebook groups, pages and causes, however, can cause problems. Stay away from (or get out of) Facebook groups that are risque or on the fringe of society. They may scare employers off.
Games and applications. LinkedIn and Twitter don't have games. Facebook, however, does. What would a non-profit hiring manager think about your Mafia Wars involvement? This isn't to discourage playing games on Facebook - just to have you consider whether those games would be viewed in a favorable light or not by potential employers.
RESUMES: Professional Summaries Work
Last Monday, we looked at why resume objectives suck, and noted that professional summaries are the way to go.
Instead of the typical resume objective (which sucks) we used last week:
To obtain a challenging ___ position with a progressive company that blah blah blah and rewards progress.
You should use a professional summary with statements such as:
Over 12 years experience in cost accounting for a $4.5 million plastics developer, utilizing Quickbooks, Peachtree and Microsoft Excel.
Compare this winning professional summary statement with the typical (and horrible) resume objective above. You'll probably notice that winning professional summaries have four things:
Years of experience. In this professional summary statement, the job seeker has stated her level of experience. This lets employers know if she meets their years of experience needs or not.
Quantification. 12 years. $4.5 million. Numbers stand out and numbers sell. Would that professional summary statement be as powerful without those numbers? In a word: No.
Processes and software. In this example, our job seeker specifically mentioned "cost accounting," which tells potential employers the type of accounting she has done. It also specifically states the software used.
Variety. Professional summaries on resumes contain several bulletted statements. Our sample job seeker, for instance, would write two or three additional statements that show the other accounting-related experience she has, which helps complete the picture.
INTERVIEWING: Ace the Phone Interview
Many job seekers ask how to handle a phone interview.
The truth is, having a successful phone interview is a lot like having a successful "normal" job interview:
Dress for it. While you could wear bunny slippers and a robe during a phone interview, you won't feel as professional as you will when dressed for a normal job interview. When you feel professional, you will project a professional attitude with your voice.
Mirror. Like dressing for a phone interview, having a mirror in front of you is also a good idea, and one that's often used in inside sales. Think "smile while you dial." Smiling gives your voice a friendly tonality and, as such, you will project a friendly professional voice during phone interviews.
Hands free solution. Nothing is quite so cumbersome during phone interviews as holding the phone between your head and a shoulder. It's far better to go hands free so that you can gesture normally and take notes without being limited by an awkward posture. The perfect solution for phone interviews? Find a decent headset (speakerphones often cause echoes and/or delays).
Their web site. One phone interview advantage for job seekers is that they can be on the company website while conducting a phone interview. This essentially turns a phone interview into an open notes test; it allows you to research while answering (and asking) questions. Just don't make it obvious by typing too hard (the interviewer might your keyboard clicking).
Follow up. Many job seekers, surprisingly, fail to follow up with the interviewer after the phone interview. Like a standard job interview, a hand written thank you card is appropriate. So, too, is a follow up call if you haven't heard anything after a week.
PARETO: Get the Household Buy In
It can be challenging to implement efficiencies into your job search and your life.
But it is SO worth it!
It's one thing implementing these efficiencies if you live by yourself. But as soon as you have other people living with you, well, it can be even more challenging.
All is not lost, however, if you live with others. You can - and should - develop and use new efficiencies. But getting the buy in of the rest of the household is important - and hopefully not that difficult. This four-step plan might help:
Plan as a group. It's always easier to get everybody's buy in if they feel like their voices are heard. If, for instance, you plan on batching your social network activities for an hour every day, then you have to sell them on how important it is to not be disturbed. And, if you're spending two hours every day at networking groups, they need to know that you're not available simply because you're not employed.
Consequences. If you have kids, then they need to be aware that disturbing you carries consequences. If your kids interrupt you with a non-emergency while you're scouring for jobs, for instance, they need to know ahead of time what may happen. Ditto for adults. Obviously, the consequences will be different for kids than adults.
Rewards. I'm actually torn on rewarding behavior that's expected and agreed upon ahead of time. (Hey - they agreed to it ahead of time, right?) But some find holding a carrot on a stick works well. If your family gives you two hours of undisturbed time to draft cover letters, say, then you might reward them with video game privileges or an ice cream.
Benefits. Perhaps the most important part of getting their buy in is to tell them ahead of time what the benefits are of either helping you with your job search related tasks - or leaving you alone while you complete them - is to show how such behavior will benefit them. You might, for instance, tell your spouse that painting the trim is less important than your job search because, with a job, your family will have more money.
Getting the buy in from those who live with you is pretty important. But, with a solid sales plan, you'll be able to implement your job search efficiencies because you've gotten your family's buy in.
NETWORKING: Networking Icebreakers
Like some other job search professionals, I like to use the dating metaphor.
Looking for work really is like looking for a date, and particularly when it comes to starting a conversation with a potential networking contact.
Which one's yours? Mine's number 5. If you have kids, then chances are you attend sporting events and recitals. And if you don't have kids of your own, then you should "adopt" your relatives' and friends' kids and attend their events. Sit next to the other parents and chat them up. Soon enough, the conversation will turn turn to work.
He's a German Shorthair, right? Out in the park? Neighbors walking their dog? Take a few minutes to talk about their dog and, if you're comfortable, to pet their dog, too. This is a great icebreaker and yes, the conversation will turn to work. If it doesn't the first time you talk, then it will soon enough.
Heck of a day for a race, eh? Most people have hobbies. Mine happens to be running. And, because I'm a slow runner, I line up toward the end of the racers. Slow runners don't mind chatting. Those lining up with the fast runners? They're concentrating too much on the race to hold a conversation. Slow runners offer more networking opportunities.
RESUMES: Why Resume Objectives Suck
Are you still using an objective on your resume?
Kill it. Take it off. You should be using a professional summary.
Resume objective statements suck. Consider, for a moment, what most of them look like:
To obtain a challenging ___ position with a progressive company that blah blah blah and rewards progress.
Many of my clients come in for resume reviews with objective statements that read almost exactly like that. The first question I ask them is this: "What do you mean by 'progressive'?"
None of them have been able to answer. Not one of them.
The thing is, resume objective statements are outdated and shouldn't be used. That's because resume objective statements:
Don't add to marketability. Re-read the sample objective statement above. How does that push promote the job seeker's qualifications? How does that grab an employer's interest? Both answers are: it doesn't. You're far better served with a professional summary that gives a snapshot of who you are as a professional.
Don't say anything. Other than the job title filling in the blank, objective statements don't actually say anything. They're simply sucking up space that could be better used. Most job seekers try to cram as many dollar sized words into their objectives as they can, while trying to sound like every other objective statement out there.
Too interchangeable. Employers know that most job seekers simply replace the job title on every resume. It's not individualized. Not really. That, and, as stated above, almost every resume objective reads exactly like every other one. That means the statements are interchangable - and so are the candidates. How can you hope to stand out like that?!?
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.