On Time is Late

Even if you have to wait, being 15 minutes early for an interview or any appointment pays big dividends.

- When your arrival is announced, the interviewer is already impressed

- You now have time to collect your thoughts or use the rest room to check your appearance

- There may be a company newsletter or annual report, in the waiting area, to read for obtaining company information. It may come in handy during the interview.

If you are on time for a meeting you're late. Set your home clocks 15 minutes early and always be ahead.

Be Smart and Professional

Try to minimize or eliminate using your employer's time to look for a job. It might back fire on you. A potential employer might frown on using a current employer's time to interview. Use your time. It's surely not recommended to use an employers resources to look for a job. Use your cell phone and your personal email account to get back to people.

Technology today is very sophisticated in tracking use of employer resources, especially email and phones.

Be smart and professional about keeping your options open.

Last Minutes Make All the Difference

In a previous chapter of my life, I went on 22 job interviews and received 22 NOs. I changed my tactics. Using a tape recorder and the mirror, I took my resume profile and practiced my interview closing everyday for 4 weeks. Then I went on 3 interviews and received 3 job offers. Life is always grand when we have choices.

The resume profile can be used as an effective closing statement during the interview. The last few minutes of an interview can make all the difference. People usually remember the last few minutes of a conversation. Once you know the interview is coming to an end, your closing statement should be natural, sell the benefits of hiring you and be lively so it is a memorable commercial.

Use a tape recorder to practice, practice, practice your close. Using a video camera provides the best feedback to develop a closing that results in multiple job offers.

Definition of Insanity

The definition of insanity is continuing to do the same thing and expecting different results each time. If a resume is being distributed and not producing calls for interviews, it's time to consider a different approach.

A brilliant young lady was at the top of her game. She helped her bosses successfully build their company. They developed national distribution, due to her efforts. She was the cat's meow and ready to explore the job market for more money. She hired me to coach her and tune up her resume. This young lady had solid experience and matching educational credentials. Anyone looking at her resume would think she should have no problem finding a new job.

When she hired me as her coach, she had been looking 6 months for a job. She also wasted money hiring me as her coach. Every suggestion I made she refused to consider. She refused to customize her resume to fit the requirements of each job opportunity. She felt her resume should be left as is, in a one size fits all format. Her mind was so closed to suggestions; a new thought wasn't able sneak into her mind sideways when she was sleeping.

That was a year ago. I heard through the grapevine she is still looking for a job.

"A mind is like a parachute. It works best when it is open." -unknown

Step Out to Attract Resume Readers

Beyond submitting a resume to want ads, job posting boards and mass mailings to the abyss of corporate America, consider making time, each week, to meet new people. Create your own known network, as opposed to sending your resume to people in the unknown network.

Biba F. Pedron, CEO & President of Biba4Network provides a great strategy for attracting people to read your resume. In her article "How to Maximize the Benefits of a Networking Event" she provides some quick tips for meeting new people.

Every person you meet, becomes your known network. Think of each person as a gateway to pass on your resume to their known network.

4 suggestions, as you step out
1. Leave your resume at home
2. Print business cards to give people
3. Focus in giving, before receiving a referral
4. When you land a job, continue stepping out

"It's better to give, than receive. Because what goes around, comes around." slogan of Gotham City Networking, Inc.

Keep Dates Straight

Although you may have a professional do your resume, double check all dates on your resume. Dates usually aren't a big deal, but every once in a blue moon someone makes a big deal out of them. I won't mention any names. Those people usually work in a department with the initials HR.

Be prepared to explain any gaps with dates in your resume. Don't be afraid to list volunteer or internship work as you would a regular job. This is great way to fill in any date gaps. If you were between jobs and helped a friend or associate with their business, insert that work as a date gap filler. If you took time off for a significant period of time, you can explain that date gap during an interview.

Your professional experience should be in reverse chronological order. So your most recent job should be listed first.

As long as you can logically explain any date gaps in your resume, there usually should not a problem during an interview. Just make sure the dates on your resume follow a logical order.

The purpose of a resume is to obtain an INTERVIEW, not a job. Landing a job is up to you during the interview.

Follow Up is Spelled C-A-L-L

A few weeks back I met 2 people at a networking social. They were each personable, well spoken and engaging. They were also very much unemployed professionals. We exchanged business cards. I suggested they send me their resume to pass out to other people I know. I followed up the next day with an email. I reiterated my offer. 1 person emailed his resume the next day. The other person sent his resume about a week later.

I scanned each resume. I knew 2 people in hiring positions who might provide interviews for both people. Those 2 resumes are still sitting in my email system. Weeks have past and I have still not sent the resumes to anyone. If neither person was interested in their career enough to follow up with a call to me, why should I be interested in their career?

That's right. Get hot and call that person Right Now. Your resume may still in their inbox, just waiting to be passed on to an associate. A follow up call might make the difference between getting an interview or not.

It's always up to you. People care about your interests, when you show an interest.

We All Make a Difference

I heard or read somewhere that every place we have been is impacted by our presence. This really comes in to play by being able to describe the impact we made at all our jobs. How did you make a difference?

Blue Sky Resume provides some incite with the article "Do You Stand Out?"

"Dig Your Well Before Your Thirsty" Harvey MacKay

Jose Anes has an excellent article on providing references. While reading his article, I remembered all the times when people called me for references. Don't you just hate it when someone only calls you when they need something? I haven't heard from Blue in years. Then ring, ring ring. It's Blue on the phone. A little small talk to act like we are catching up. Blue sheepishly asks if he can give my name as a reference. I say "no problem, have a nice life". I hang up. Now I'm annoyed.

Moral of the story: Stay in touch with people no matter how much life gets in the way. You never know when you might need a favor.

I have a contact management program that is phenomenal in allowing me to stay in touch with people. It lets me run a report of who I haven't spoken to in 30, 60, 90, 365 days. I call people and ask how they're doing, the kids, life, family, yada yada yada. When finished I jot down a few notes about our conversation in the contact manager. This allows me to have an excellent memory for the next time I talk to the person. I do this several times a week. That may be a bit much. I recommend reaching out to a few people in your network at least once a week, 30-45 minutes. It's part of making donations into the Good Will Bank.

"People don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care" - Zig Ziglar

Would You Hire You?

The steps for creating a high impact resume are almost the same as asking for a raise. When asking for a raise, an honest self-assessment must be performed. A raise request must be put in writing to be affective. Your resume is put in writing to make that same proposal as to why a person should hire you. Before you answer the question "would you hire you", consider reading "Don't Even Dream About Asking for a Raise". See if you can apply some of the raise justification techniques for improving your resume.

Lying Overloads the Brain

There is never any reason to lie on your resume. Once you start lying, you have to keep lying. The truth is, it's much easier to remember the truth. Lying requires way more brain power, because a person must keep remembering all previous lies. This leads to more lies. And the hits just keep on coming . . .

This point was highlighted last week with the resignation of David J. Edmondson, the former CEO of Radio Shack. The irony is, he had a solid 11 year track record at Radio Shack. So he's not a bad person. It was just a case of poor judgement.

There are plenty of word smithing techniques for pumping up the volume on a resume, without lying.

Trusted Networks vs. Job Boards

Job boards are an "unknown network". You're submitting your resume to someone who does not know you. Think about it. If a hiring person gets a resume from someone s/he knows and receives your resume, whom do you think gets called for an interview first? If you knew someone who could introduce you to the hiring person, wouldn't that be easier.

Participating in trusted networks better positions a person for a possible resume referral. Why? I'm glad you asked that question. 85%-90% of job placements occur through personal referrals, not job boards. Developing relationships with people establishes you quicker in a "known network". People are known to you and you get to know them. People, who know you, refer you to other people.

The caveat to networking is Forget What You Want. It's about reverse WIIFM. Below are some suggested places to network on and off line. Think of this way. You already know at least one person in any of these networks. I'm registered as C. E. Reid or SirReid. It would be my pleasure to introduce you to other people. Be prepared to give, in order to get. Pick up a copy of The Virtual Handshake to really kick your job search into high gear.

Ecademy

LinkedIn

Ryze

Gather

Circle of Experts

Network2Connect

The Lunch Club

ETP Network

LISTA

Biba4Network

Networking for Professionals

Business Over Breakfast Clubs

The Resource Room

Consultant Entrepreneurs Forum

Volunteer at National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship

The purpose of a resume is to obtain an INTERVIEW, not a job. Landing a job is up to you during the interview.