Hint #6 - LinkedIn URL

Want to know the latest addition to the "successful" resume? Adding your LinkedIn URL to your heading (contact information) at the top of the resume will show employers that you are "up" with the times. Naturally, when they download your resume, the URL will be hyperlinked. When that happens, if you are lucky enough to add your picture, that's one more point in your favor. It's the latest thing and employers are impressed when they see it there.

City College Seminar

The LinkedIn Seminar at City College was a huge success. There were 30 attendees. I spoke to the Assistant to the Director and she said that she could hear the enthusiasm and excitement coming from the room. If you would like to have another session, please write me at hra246@gmail.com. If you would like to host a session elsewhere, write me and we'll make arrangements.

Contracting in This Economy

We had a fantastic speaker last night. Lisa Morton of TekSystems spoke to us about the pros & cons of contracting.

One of the biggest pros is that you are able to get top pay. You also have a recruiter to depend on to market your services. You don't get involved in office politics!

One of the biggest cons is the possibility of a short term contract. You don't feel like part of the team.

In today's economy, a large number of people are turning to contracting (yes, it is also called "temping"). You should "hook up" with a firm that deals primarily with your field.

Lisa brought up some very good points with respecting to the role of a contractor.

Hint #5 - Reference Line at the Bottom

This line is no longer needed. People put down "References available upon request". When you go for your interview, the hiring manager....if they are impressed...will ask you to complete an application. Not only will you be asked for references THEN, but you will be asked to sign the application along with identifying those references and managers you don't mind them calling.

Worst yet, do NOT list references on a resume. It gives license for the recruiter to contact them at will and ask about you without your knowing it. They may even try to recruit the reference!!

Stay tuned for more hints....

Full House

As expected, our LinkedIn class at City College filled quickly. There may be more! If you wish to join a future class, simply email me at hra246@gmail.com

LinkedIn Class Announcement

City College of Casselberry has graciously donated a classroom for our use to be used for our upcoming LinkedIn class. Our class will meet from 3-5pm on October 27th. Seating is limited to the first 30 people who RSVP to me at hra246@gmail.com. I have 15 already signed up. This class is a must if you want to use this valuable tool effectively.

I will be going from signup to actually locating contacts for you at certain companies.

This course is free. You are welcome to donate a buck or two, but that's not required. If you are unemployed this course will definitely help you.

Don't forget our October 25th meeting at the library in Casselberry. Our guest speaker will be Lisa Morton, a recruiter at TekSystems. Her topic will be the pros & cons to contracting (aka "temping"). See our web site for details at www.pronetcareerresources.org

Hint #4 - Cover Letters

In today's day and age, with the advent of LinkedIn and the strong focus on networking, the cover letter has become both outdated and academic. Yet, there are some web sites and some hiring managers who want to see how your writing skills are and how you can put together a high quality, well informed cover letter.

In this blog I will give you the sample format for that all important cover letter. First, NEVER send a cover letter to a "to whom it may concern" unless you are absolutely forced to. Second, use LinkedIn to find the proper person, even if it means the "dribbledown" effect must be used.

Next, the cover letter should be in the body of the email, as text. It should not be an attachment. If I were a hiring manager, I'd want to see your resume ONLY as the attachment. Your main conveyance is the text in the email, hence your cover letter. So, here goes.

1. Copy and paste your heading from your resume to the "letter head" of the cover letter. All your contact information should be centered at the top of the cover letter. It should also be left justified at the bottom of the cover letter (like a signature block). This SHOULD NOT be done in a "header and footer" as it shows laziness on the part of the writer.

2. The date and "to" section is obvious.

3. The first paragraph should clearly define where you found the opening. It should, with a high level of confidence, say "I'm highly qualified" and then introduce the second paragraph. It should be no more than 5-10 lines in length.

4. The second paragraph should address each and every "shopping list" or qualifications item in the ad. For example, if it says "must have 6 years in management", you should comment on what jobs you've had where your role was in management. You may want to comment on the achievements you had as manager. If it says "must have excellent written communications skills" you may want to comment on the types of reports you submitted to "C" level management (CEO, COO, CTO, CFO). The second paragraph should be no more than 10-15 lines in length. Succinct, focused, short sentences (bullets are ok to use here) and with lots of confidence.

5. The final paragraph should be a strong close. You should comment that you are available right away for interviewing. You should comment that you are undoubtedly the most highly qualified candidate for this position. You should repeat your phone number (yes, a 3rd time) so that there's no chance he will miss seeing your phone number. Finally, mention that you intend to follow up with him in one week (and, yes, do so!!). The final paragraph should be no more than 5-6 lines.

End the cover letter with "Sincerely yours". For inventiveness, "sign your name" with a font that appears to be a "signature". It will give the reader a chuckle in that you attempted to "sign" the letter.

Need individualized help? Contact me.

Hint #3 - Summary vs Objective

Sad to say, the day of the objective is no longer. Companies no longer want to know (or care??) what it is that you really want to do. The line "to work for a progressive company" no longer works because ALL companies are progressive.

Hiring managers are, however, seeking to learn about your skill sets and your key words that are put forth in a summary. Please note, a skill set and your attributes are different. Knowledge of MS Word and "great conversationalist" or "people person" are worlds apart in necessity. Don't forget, companies will want to see "surfing" the internet on your resume. The days of cliches are now history. Avoid, "multi-tasking", or "results oriented" as EVERYBODY has that on their resumes. Put some real "meat" into the summary. Are you a Notary? Put that on there. Need additional help? Contact me.

More Feedback

Perfecting the Elevator Speech: This is a very simple yet important aspect of the job search. Pretend, if you will, that you are at a hotel visiting a tourist destination. Someone gets on the elevator with you and they have a name tag on that is of interest. You look at them, say name name after shaking hands and point out that you're seeking a position and you felt that he might be approachable. You then point out what your field is and that you live in Orlando, Florida. You ask if you can trade business cards. He says "yes" and you're off and running. The speech took less than 30 seconds as he has reached his floor!

If you are interested in working on your interviewing skills, please contact me and we will discuss. If you're interested in getting your LinkedIn Profile in far better shape than it is, again, contact me and we'll get it up and running.