By: DAVID HOTTLE, CPC
Copyright 2010
All rights reserved. This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission from the author.
CONTENTS
Introduction 6
Acknowledgements 8
Commandment One: Thou Shalt Have a Direction
Before Starting Your Search 9
What Field Should I Choose? 10
How To Evaluate Your Results 12
CLAMPS 13
Mentors 15
Clean Up Your Online Profile 17
Are You Ready For Commandment Two 19
COMMANDMENT TWO: Thou Shalt Craft The Tools
Needed To Search 20
What Is a Resume 21
Different Types Of Resumes 23
Summary-Objective 24
Accomplishments 25
Employment History 26
Education 27
Activities And Groups 29
Cover Letters 31
Professional References 32
Are You Ready For Commandment Three 34
COMMANDMENT THREE: Thou Shalt Walk Softly
Among The Advertised Openings 36
A x E x E = R 37
Advertised Openings 38
Job Boards 39
Establishing A Bulls Eye Employer List 41
Company Websites 42
Resume Metrics 44
Are You Ready For Commandment Four 45
COMMANDMENT FOUR: Thou Shalt Be Proactive
Versus Reactive 46
Inbound Vs Outbound Calls 47
Your Telephone Voice 48
Inbound Calls From Potential Employers 49
Outbound Calls To An Employer Following Up
On A Job Posting 50
Outbound Calls To An Employer Following Up
After An Application 51
Talking To A Live Human Resource Person 52
Voice Mail To Human Resources 53
Making Job Fairs Work For You 54
Are You Ready For Commandment Five 57
COMMANDMENT FIVE: Thou Shalt Covet Your
Neighbors Connections 59
What Is Networking And Why Is It Important To
Finding A Job? 60
Networking Groups 61
How To Stand Out From The Crowd 62
How To Explain What You Do In a Unique Way 63
Mastering The Coffee Connection 64
Got Goals 65
Are You Ready For Commandment Six? 66
COMMANDMENT SIX: Honor But Use Social Networking
Information To Your Advantage 67
What Is Social Networking 68
Why Social Networking Is Important In Securing a Job 69
How To Use Social Networking To Secure Interviews 70
Using Social Networking To Obtain Information
That Can Be Used In An Interview 72
How Many Contacts Are Needed 73
Are You Ready For Commandment Seven? 74
COMMANDMENT SEVEN: Thou Shalt Be Prepared For
The Path Ahead 76
Your 30 Second Elevator Pitch 77
Feature Benefit 79
Know Your Interviewer 81
Five Frequently Asked Questions By An Employer 82
Top 5 Questions t Ask In An Interview 85
Top 5 Questions To NOT Ask In An Interview 87
Positive Spin On A Negative Past 89
Are You Ready For Commandment Eight? 91
COMMANDMENT EIGHT: Thou Shalt Interview To
Get The Job Offer 93
Applicant Be Aware 94
The Purpose Of An Interview 95
Rapport Building In The Interview 96
Interview Preparation 98
Prepping For a Structured Behavioral Interview 99
Sample Behavioral Interview Questions 102
A Telephone Interview 106
Filling Out The Job Application 108
The Face To Face Interview 110
Closing Out The Interview 115
Are You Ready For Commandment Nine? 117
COMMANDMENT NINE: Thou Shalt Follow Up
For Success 119
The Keys To Interview Follow Up 120
Making A Thank You Call 122
The Thank You Note or Email 124
A Second Interview 125
Prepping For A Second And Subsequent Interviews 126
Post Interview Follow Up 127
Are You Ready For Commandment Ten? 128
COMMANDMENT TEN: Thou Shalt Get a Job Offer 130
What Is A Bonafide Job Offer 131
Don’t Say No Immediately To a Job Offer You Do Not Like 133
How Do I Enhance My Job Offer 135
Accepting A Job Offer And Before You Start 136
INTRODUCTION
Let us begin your career transition journey with a little story.
A farmer went out to sow his seed.
As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path;
It was trampled on and the birds of the air ate it up.
Some fell on rock, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture.
Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants.
Still, other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop a hundred times more than was sown.
How does this little story relate to your job search?
The Answer:
The seed is the information contained in books like this and other material that shares “How To” knowledge.
Those along the path are the ones who have been taught the “How To’s” but all along believed they could do it better. So they do not
include the information from their daily job search routine so that they may not believe in it and prosper.
Those on the rock are the ones who receive the “How To” information during their job search and understand it is successful. But they have no root. They believe it for awhile, but when the search takes a little longer or when things get a little tough, they lose confidence.
The seed that fell among the thorns stands for those who learn the “How To” information, but as they go on their way they are choked full by life’s worries, outside influences, negative feedback and let their personal problems interfere, and they fail because of it.
But the seed on good soil stands for those with the proper attitude, motivations and work ethics, who learn the “How To” information, retain it, use it every day of their job search, and by persevering get hired in the job they want.
Which will you be; the path, the rock or the good soil?
AKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Sow a thought, reap an act; sow an act, reap a habit; sow a habit, reap a character; sow a character, reap a destiny. Anonymous
Bill Lins, CPC my business partner of more years than I care to count.
Barry Niemann, my mentor where I learned a lifetime of lessons.
My Italian Mom, who instilled in me life lessons which I am still learning. I am the acorn to her tree.
Thank you all for the life gifts you have shared with me!
The author would like to acknowledge:
Bill Lins, CPC, and Brian Hilliard, Agito Consulting. Thank you for your servant’s hearts and your valued partnership.
COMMANDMENT ONE
Thou Shalt Have a Direction Before Starting Your Search
“Without counsel, plans go wrong, but with
many advisers they succeed.”
Prov. 15:22
What Field to Choose?
You’re probably already aware that there are many factors and opinions regarding what sort of career you should build for yourself.
So, what’s your first step? Well, that begins with this fundamental challenge: What Profession is for you?
You probably find yourself asking, “Where do I start? Where do I go from here?”
Taking Career Assessment tests are a good start. There are many assessment tests out there, even some that are free. Simply do an internet search for “Free Career Assessment Tests” or “Career Assessment Tests” and you should find what you need.
Next, you must identify and truly lean on mentors … people who can guide you and give you honest, constructive feedback because they were once where you are today and have successfully journeyed down their chosen career path. Don’t reinvent the wheel if you don’t have to. Listen to them. They can help you.
Passion is a word we hear a lot. What’s your passion? What makes you want to jump out of bed early on a Monday morning and attack the day? What makes you lose track of time but still leaves you energized at the end of a long day?
It’s critically important that you be honest with yourself as you identify your true passion. Is it music? Is it art? Is it managing projects? Is it making money? Is it travel? Take a Career Assessment Test, review the results, and you should have a really good beginning point as you seek that dream job. And remember … if you love what you do, success, fulfillment and the appropriate amount of abundance will find its way to you. It’s true. Always has been, always will be. Trust me.
Finally, avoid undue peer pressure. Your friends love you but they don’t always know what’s best for you. Listen to them but trust your own instincts and the guidance of mentors. Ultimately, it’s you who has to be happy doing what you do.
How to Evaluate Your Results
Let’s talk about evaluating your results from a Career Assessment Test.
So, what did you discover from your Career Assessment Recommendation? Did you learn something about yourself you never knew before? Or did you confirm what you already knew? Either way, you just completed a critically important step in identifying, pursuing and landing that dream job.
Now that you’ve completed an assessment and have some recommendations, it’s time to take a realistic look at your professional options as we begin to narrow the focus on your career of choice.
It’s very important that you think in terms of a career, not an industry. An industry is simply a backdrop, it’s not what you’ll actually be doing day-to-day. For instance, if your chosen career is in sales or in research, remember there are career opportunities in sales or research in virtually everything from architecture to zoology – A to Z! That’s why we need to focus on what you want to do vs. the broader backdrop of an industry.
Study your Career Assessment Recommendations. Really think about them – especially if you discovered something unexpected. Discuss the results with your mentor or mentors. Get their feedback. Envision yourself in a career you may never have considered prior to taking the Assessment. Feel the excitement and the possibilities for growth, success and fulfillment.
CLAMPS
The process of identifying a job and a company that best suits your passions and desires can often feel overwhelming … but it doesn’t need to. All you need to do is put the “CLAMPS” on and you’ll quickly find aligning your dream career and your dream company actually becomes quite methodical.
What do I mean by CLAMPS? Well, CLAMPS is an acronym for Challenge, Lifestyle, Advancement, Money, Prestige and Stability.
Let’s take a closer look …
Challenge … is the learning, support and training provided by a company. You’re going to want this if you desire to grow within the organization.
Lifestyle is, quite simply, the number of hours you’ll be expected to work each week, as well as what hours you’ll be working – 9-to-5, early shift, late shift, things like that. Your hours have a direct impact on your lifestyle so you need to take this into consideration.
Advancement is how quickly you can realistically expect to earn promotions and take on new challenges; essentially, how soon you can begin moving up the ladder.
Money … do I need to explain that? Probably so. Keep in mind, if money is most important to you, you may not be enhancing your profession because you’re chasing the financial reward vs. growing as a professional and making a meaningful contribution. Money is, obviously, very important but, ultimately, your love of your job is what will drive your success.
It’s generally better to make less and be happy, than make more and regret your career choice or company choice.
“P” stands for prestige of your desired position, company and industry. Figure out how important this is to you but be aware prestige is purely an ego matter and based more on emotion than benefit. You can prosper and grow within any organization, no matter how obscure it might be.
And finally, Stability. How stable is the organization and the industry? Is the company growing? Is it financially stable? Is it in a growth industry that will continue to provide opportunities for advancement? These are important questions.
We recommend you sit down with pad and pen and do what we call “rank and rate”. Be honest with yourself. Which of these six considerations are most important to you? Which ones are non-negotiable in your mind? Once you’ve done this, rank them in order of importance and pretty soon you’ll have identified how a particular profession and company aligns with your desires.
Find a Mentor!
Next, start enlisting the help of others. Who in your circle of contacts can help you learn more about your career or choice and the opportunities in that career? Pull out a pad and pen, or fire up the laptop or PC and list them. Be sure to include their contact info … email address, phone numbers, that kind of thing.
Next, identify people who are already doing what you desire to do. Reach out to them, meet with them -- ideally, in person – and ask them for advice. Generally speaking, people who love what they do are very eager to share details of their career with others.
And if you can’t think of anyone in your immediate circle of contacts who’s actually doing what you want to do, talk to them anyway and ask them if they know of anyone in their circle of contacts. Then ask them to make an introduction on your behalf. One of the keys of success is to always ask. You want to live the old adage, “Ask and you will receive.”
In real estate, experts always talk about “location, location, location”. And in the landscape of career-building, it’s all about “networking, networking, networking”. You’ve already identified a mentor, or maybe more than one mentor. Now, it’s time to identify a mentor specifically working in your chosen career. But be sure to find someone who’s respected among peers and who’s knowledgeable. This is the type of person who can give you the greatest insight and guidance and you journey towards that dream job.
Clean Up your Online Profile
Now it’s time to make sure you’re presenting yourself positively and professionally – especially on social networking websites.
Recent studies show that most of people already have a profile on at least one social networking site – Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, or any of the others. And did you know that 51% of these people fully expect employers or potential employers to check out their profile. It’s true!
If you don’t already understand this, now is the time to accept that your page or your profile absolutely paints a picture of you. The great Mark Twain once said “A person never gets a second chance to make a first impression.” Hmmmm …
So make sure your first impression is appealing. Your profile on a social networking site is often your only chance to make a positive, first impression. Don’t blow it!
Go online and review each one of your social networking site profiles. View them from the perspective of an employer or prospective employer. Take out any unprofessional or inappropriate images, comments, graphics, music, videos, whatever. You don’t necessarily have to come across as a “goody-two-shoes” – I mean, we all have friends and we all like to have a good time – but be sure the balance of information available about you on your chosen social networking sites tells the real story of who you are, where your outside interests lie, where you’ve traveled, what you’ve accomplished, things like that. Things that will enhance your career prospects as you seek your dream job.
Next, reconsider your online circle of friends. You may have a soft spot for the good-hearted slacker who can’t seem to keep a job or dress neatly but an employer or prospective employer may not like the fact that you hang with someone like this. Also, your friend might have inappropriate pics with you tagged. If true, either temporarily delete your friends or place your settings on a more confidential basis.
Is this fair? Probably not. Is it reality? You betcha!
So, reevaluate your online circle of friends and make sure the apparent company you keep reflects positively on you. Be honest and ask yourself “What does my online profile really say about me?”
OK, if you want an edge with your competition, it’s time to clean it up!
Are Your Ready For The Second Commandment
So, let’s take a quick look back as we prepare to move ahead to Commandment 2 in the process of finding you your dream job in your chosen career. In Commandment 1:
You took a Career Assessment Test and identified some career choices
You understand CLAMPS and which ones are important to you and which ones are nonnegotiable.
You identified all-important internal and external contacts that you can lean on as you pursue your dream job in your career of choice.
You’ve identified at least one respected and knowledgeable professional mentor already doing the type of job you desire.
And you’ve tidied up all your social networking sites to make sure you’re making a positive, professional first impression.
Wow … you’ve come a long way in just a short period of time! I think we’re ready to move on to Commandment 2.
Congratulations!