September 19, 2006
Blue Sky Blog Moves!
This will be my last post at this URL - we are moving the Blue Sky Blog to www.blueskyresumesblog.com.
Please come on over and subscribe to the new feed.
The new and improved blog allows comments and trackbacks (my lack of programming knowledge precluded that on our old blog) and will allow me to devote more time to blogging and less to maintaining the blog.
We'll be moving the archives over, but leaving this blog here so that old links/bookmarks will still work.
I look forward to seeing you all at the new site!
Posted by Louise at 11:57 AM | Permalink
September 15, 2006
Focus Your Resume
This week brought evidence of the value of a clear resume focus.
I worked with a client who wanted to leave one industry and move into a very different one. The work would be the same and the two industries actually have a lot in common once you understand how they work, but you wouldn't know that on the surface.
Luckily for me, this client knew not only the field he wanted to work in, but also the specific company he was targeting. He gave me the website URL and links to to some of their media coverage.
Once I understood their strategy and their organizational values, it was easy to position my client effectively, and show them why they should pay attention to him.
Yesterday, he dropped me a note to let me know that the President of the company contacted him within 2 hours of receiving his resume, and he has a series of interviews scheduled for next week.
Of course, it's not always possible to focus quite this intently on just one company, but the lesson is clear - if you understand your target audience, you have a very good shot at crafting a message that resonates with them. And if you're applying for a specific position, there's no reason not to adjust your resume to appeal to that company.
Posted by Louise at 09:39 AM | Permalink
September 02, 2006
The End of Resume Spin?
The Internet has changed everything about marketing because it gives power to the consumer. The cable company can advertise their great service all day long, but one customer can ruin it all by posting a video on Youtube. Sites like Youtube, Flickr and MySpace, along with blogs and forums allow consumers to find the truth, so that it's no longer enough for Chase Manhattan to claim "the right relationship is everything" - they actually have to do the work of building the right relationship. (So far all evidence is that they don't mean what they say. It just sounded good in a marketing meeting.)
The same is happening in job search. You can say what you want on your beautifully presented, well-written resume - if a Web search of your name brings up damaging information, then you can kiss that great job goodbye. And what happens if you don't appear in a Web search? At all. Do you exist?
People are looking for you online - recruiters, HR Managers, potential business partners, new friends, new bosses, colleagues, clients, even people who don't like you very much! And the number of people using Web search to research other people is rapidly increasing every day.
The good news is that this shift helps the good guys. It rewards those who really are out there making a difference. If you take a leadership role in your industry or field, you will leave a trail on the Web. And this doesn't just apply to senior-level executives. I recently wrote a resume for a young guy who was looking to get into video game programming at the entry level. Although he didn't have direct work experience, he had lots of evidence of his passion in the form of articles he had written for web publications and volunteer work he was doing as an Internet forum moderator. Because of this, the Internet helped him to tell his story.
When I started my resume writing business, life was much easier. I knew that the resume I wrote would be the only information employers had about my client before the interviewed him. And after the interview they would call the references provided by the client, who of course would validate his story. Now, the resume and the references are just one piece of the puzzle, and as more and more recruiters move to online research, their importance will shrink.
If you are serious about your career - whether or not you are looking for work right now - this means that you MUST start building a positive Internet presence. Not by "spinning" (see: Manhattan, Chase), but by actually taking an active role in your field or industry. By writing a blog about your area of expertise. Or by joining an internet forum centered on your profession and then helping others who have questions. Or by writing articles for publication on industry websites. Or by maximizing your LinkedIn presence. Or by any number of other ways available to you because of the Internet.
Use any of them, use all of them, just don't let the opportunity pass you by.
Cross-posted on Career Hub
Posted by Louise at 10:21 AM | Permalink
August 30, 2006
Why Recruiters Don't Call
The Recruiter points to this posting by Jim Stroud which appeared on STLRecruiting.com
Jim is a recruiter, and he catalogs all the reasons his colleagues may not be calling you back. I like them all, but I think he misses a biggie - maybe your resume is just no good!
"Wait," I hear you cry. You're a resume writer so you would say that! But people, that's precisely why I know I am right. I see a lot of resumes every day and I could make 98% of them significantly more effective.
I don't get the chance to improve that many because lots of people never actually take us up on our services. They give lots of reasons - maybe it's too expensive, or maybe they've been ripped off in the past - but the real and only reason is that they are not convinced that a professional resume can make a difference.
And yet, time and time again, our clients prove that our resumes get results because they go out and get great jobs very quickly. (And this is true of any really good professional resume writer.)
The simple fact is that I am better at writing resumes than you are. I'm terrible at sports. I don't eat as well as I should. I'm very impatient. I'm horrible at chess and you should never hire me to paint your house. But I am damn good at writing resumes.
And so I want to add #9 to Jim's post of the 8 reasons recruiters are not calling you:
#9: Because, despite the fact that you are qualified, your resume is not clearly and quickly conveying what makes you so great.
(And by the way, I haven't even seen your resume but I know I have a 98% chance of being right.)
If you can't invest in a professional resume, go out and study ways to improve yours. Invest some time and energy and it will pay off.
If you like, sign up for my free e-course on resume writing.
Just don't sit back and blame recruiters if the phone isn't ringing. At least not until your resume is the very best that it can be.
Posted by Louise at 05:25 PM | Permalink
August 26, 2006
Harry Joiner on LinkedIn
Harry Joiner tells you why you should be using LinkedIn and how to do it effectively.
Harry points out that one of LinkedIn's strongest features is the ability to collect testimonials from other people. The system doesn't allow you to manipulate testimonials, and because each quote is linked back to a real person who also has a LinkedIn profile, they have great credibility.
Posted by Louise at 10:00 AM | Permalink
August 22, 2006
How Much Effort is it Worth?
Let me ask you a few questions: How much do you care about your next job? How much do you want it to be the right fit? How important is your career?
If the answers are (a) "a lot" (b) "a lot" and (c) "very," let me ask you another question: How much effort are you willing to put into your personal marketing and your job search?
I am always amazed when the answer to that question is "not much."
I just refunded a fee because the client felt that our self-assessment worksheets were too much work. She wrote "if I had time to fill out all that information, I'd have time to write my resume myself."
Now time is not the only thing stopping her from writing a resume as good as the one I can write for her, but I didn't argue and that's not my point in writing this post.
Our clients complete a comprehensive self-assessment questionnaire before we write their resume. It's a lot of work and I make no bones about that before they sign up with us. It's important work. No, it's ESSENTIAL work. Because I guarantee our resumes - a full 100% results guarantee. I can do that because I know that if you truly understand your own value proposition and if you can articulate it clearly, not only on a resume, but in person during interviews, you will be successful. But if a client isn't willing to spend a few hours preparing herself for her search, how can I guarantee success?
Job search is like anything else in life. you get out of it what you put in. When you hire people to help you, you are leveraging their expertise - not taking yourself out of the process.
Cross-posted at Career Hub
Posted by Louise at 01:12 PM | Permalink
August 18, 2006
Are you LinkedIn?
Seth Godin's Alexaholic shows LinkedIn growing in popularity.
Seth is tracking traffic to the new generation of websites that allow people to collaborate, share contact and network online. Sites like youtube.com where people can share videos, MySpace, where they can share personal details, and Flickr where they can share pictures, are all part of this growing phenomenon which is sometimes termed Web 2.0, to denote the supposed next generation of the Internet.
LinkedIn went from 134th six months ago to 17th now. Pretty impressive! If you're not LinkedIn already, you should be!
Posted by Louise at 09:56 AM | Permalink
August 16, 2006
Blogging + Recruitment
I'm really enjoying Spherion's new blog and Don Boone's post about blogging caught my eye because he's writing about the same thing I've been thinking about for a while - the different ways in which technology is changing recruitment, and therefore job search. As Don says:
I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that blogging may just change the very way we look for job seekers. I've never seen a tool with such potential power for candidates seeking career advancement and for recruiters to not only find qualified candidates, but learn more about them before ever speaking to them.
I agree, and it's not just blogs that are changing the way things work and opening up the possibilities for job seekers. I have been guest blogging recently on various recruitment blogs, and I've written several posts on where technology is taking us. I am fascinated by the impact of blogging, as well as sites such as MySpace, Squidoo and LinkedIn because this new transparency offers incredible opportunity (and also carries incredible risk). On Jim Stroud 2.0, I talked about the uncertainty all this brings for job seekers and people in my profession:
The first wave of job boards, which simply moved our existing processes onto the Internet, is already on the way out. We're at the very beginning of a huge sea change in the world of recruitment and HR management, and while those changes are being discussed on some blogs (like this one) and by some industry leaders, for the most part they're happening around us while we carry on the way we've always done things.
And on Job Syntax, I explaned what I think all this means for job seekers:
I do think that the days of controlling your own image are disappearing fast. With all this information online, it’s just not going to be possible to neatly package and present yourself with a well-written resume or a nicely designed web portfolio. Because employers know they have access to unfiltered information about you, and they will assume that unfiltered information is more accurate than the pre-packaged stuff you gave them.In the end, more openness benefits one group of people – those who don’t need to spin their background because they’re doing a fabulous job. If you love what you do, and write a blog about it, or create a Squidoo lens, or answer questions on forums, or write articles, or play a key role on high profile projects, or speak at conferences, or take a leadership role in a professional group, or do any of the things that make you a leader in your field, you will be less likely than ever to lose out to someone less qualified just because they wrote a better resume. But if you don’t take an active role in promoting your self every day, a great resume alone won’t protect you for much longer.
Posted by Louise at 12:34 PM | Permalink
August 14, 2006
Go on vent - you'll feel better!
Heather Mundell points to a great tool for creating your fantasy resignation letter. The Resignator allows you to choose the type of letter you want to write depending on your mood (choices include abusive, passive-aggressive, bitter or whiney).
Heather posted this under her 'just for fun'category, but I think it can also be a nice way of letting off steam. Just as long as you don't actually send the letter!
Posted by Louise at 05:41 PM | Permalink
August 11, 2006
Not Qualified?
George Blomgren wonders what people are thinking. After describing a vacancy in his company, he says:
Only three out of 14 applicants have indicated an experience level and salary requirements that are even in the same ballpark as those spelled out in the job posting. The rest .. I wonder what they're thinking?
They're thinking that they have all these skills and abilities that would work in the position if only George would give them a chance. But of course he won't, because he asked for those qualifications for a reason.
Don't apply for jobs you're not qualified for. Instead, figure how how to GET qualified. A much better use of time and energy.
Posted by Louise at 07:28 PM | Permalink
August 10, 2006
New Tech Job Board
Shannon at EXCELER8ion points to Crunchboard which is a new job board for tech jobs and is described as:
The electronic version of the ultimate insider's network. Use CrunchBoard to connect with the most dynamic programmers, designers, entrepreneurs, executives, venture capitalists and others who are deeply interested in the new web, and looking for their next career step.
There is no charge to search jobs.
Posted by Louise at 09:02 AM | Permalink
July 31, 2006
It Makes Me Angry!
Gah! Bad work makes me angry and bad treatment of other people makes me even more angry. We have a policy at Blue Sky - you'll love your resume and see results, and if not, we'll happily refund your money. I do this because it's the right thing to do, and also because it's good business.
I just took on a client who paid $1,000 to another firm for a resume and cover letter. She wasn't happy with the results (for good reason) and asked for a refund. She was refused. Now no doubt that resume writer will tell me that she had the client sign an agreement upfront and that it clearly states there are to be no refunds. To which I say Pah! Agreement Schmeement. The client didn't get value for money and so you need to give the money back.
This lady is only trusting me because I come highly recommended by a coach she trusts. I am grateful to her for taking the leap and I will make sure that she has no cause to be unhappy with my work, but my blood is boiling at the thought of that $1,000. The resume was rubbish. Either that writer didn't try very hard or she's not very good. Either way my client shouldn't have to pay for shoddy work.
The career marketing profession has a bad rap. Whenever we try to keep money that we don't deserve, we just make it worse for everyone else.
Posted by Louise at 06:49 PM | Permalink
July 29, 2006
Biting the Hand That Feeds
Like HR Guy, I'm surprised at the comments made on Ragan's recent recruiting.com post about networking. Ragan contacted a current Google employee looking to make contact and add him to her network. His reponse was "TAKE MY NAME OFF YOUR LIST." She reports receiving a similar reaction from a number of Google employees.
Most of the commenters on her post seem focused on whether recruiters are always honest about their intentions. To me that misses the point.
In this day and age, I think it's the height of arrogance (and ignorance) to assume you don't need a relationship with as many recruiters as possible. None of those people will be working at Google until they retire, and at some point they will be looking for a new position.
It wouldn't have taken much longer to type a polite response, and it could have resulted in a great job 10 years from now, or a connection that ultimately helped a friend or family member get their next opportunity.
Are recruiters often selfish? Yes of course! They're trying to make a living. Do they sometimes fudge the truth when approaching candidates? Absolutely! But when you need a new job, it's always nice to know you can pick up the phone and contact people who actually, you know, have vacancies to fill.
Cross-posted at Career Hub
Posted by Louise at 05:36 PM | Permalink
July 25, 2006
How NOT to look for a Job
I just received this email to my company's general email account (info@...):
Dear Staffing Agent (Is that what I am now? A Staffing Agent? What is a Staffing Agent anyway? My name is right on the website for anyone to find):A few weeks ago I contacted you expressing interest in working with you. As I had mentioned then, I am looking for a position in the design field. (So why are you writing to a small career management service that doesn't list a designer on its staff list, and hasn't advertised for one?)
I was wondering if you had come to a decision to meet with me (Yes. That was a pretty easy decision actually since we don't employ designers) or have been able to forward my documentation to another office (which other office? I don't have another office.) Enclosed are my updates and my resume and the link to my online portfolio. (Well, great. Thanks. Although I'm still not sure why I received this email).
Mass emails like this are spam - they're just as bad as the Nigerian prince who wants to give me all his money, or the notice about the penny stock that's about to shoot up in value and make me rich beyond my wildest dreams.
If your email isn't carefully targeted and addressed to a real person, please don't hit 'send.'
Cross-posted at Career Hub
Posted by Louise at 12:21 PM | Permalink
July 24, 2006
Diversify Your Search
Seth Godin is rerunning an old piece today. He's writing about the role luck plays in launching a new product or service. But he makes an important point that applies to career marketing just as much as it does to product marketing:
The way to grow in the future is to acknowledge how important luck is and to diversify your risk. Do that with lots of products, not just one or two. Cut your overhead so you have plenty of chips, ready for another spin of the roulette wheel.
You can't know where a recruiter will look for his or her next candidate, and you can't know when it will happen. What you CAN do is ensure that you are visible in as many places as possible - not just post your resume online and wait for the phone to ring.
Diversify your job search efforts and you will make your own luck.
Posted by Louise at 12:19 PM | Permalink
