As a part of my own job search I read a lot of articles about things like networking, cover letters, resumes, interviews, etc. One thing I try to do to help others in the same boat is by aggregating these into my on-going series of “Article Aggregate” posts. For reference, I post one of these about every 5-7 days.
If your material is mentioned here – and there are a lot of people whose good work I try to capture – please RT this broadcast to reach and help others. If you tweet one of the links here specifically, please include me in your tweet (i.e., via @davidhuntpe) – and consider following me: @davidhuntpe
Please mention my blog to others if you like what you see: https://davidhuntpe.wordpress.com
(Plug: If you really like this aggregate – and consider that I put a fair amount of time into this! – please check out my SRG page; buy from my affiliates who pay me a commission. If you’re not feeling commercial, consider giving to one of the charities I support. Or take a look at the kind of places I’m looking for work – perhaps you know someone, or know someone who knows someone, who works there; an introduction would be welcomed!)
Thanks!
David Hunt, PE
*****
MY LATEST TWO ESSAYS
In shameless self-promotion mode, I’m going to start putting links to the last two Original Essays I’ve published here at the top. Reverse-chronological order. These will, of course, change as I publish new ones.
Resume Ruminations
https://davidhuntpe.wordpress.com/2015/01/02/resume-ruminations/
** I’ve seen a lot of pieces of advice on resumes: e.g., general formatting, key words, and so on, and I’ve got a RESUME section, below, too. But here are some tidbits I think are relevant, but haven’t seen most of them elsewhere.
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Peeing in the Candidate Reservoir
https://davidhuntpe.wordpress.com/2014/12/29/peeing-in-the-candidate-reservoir/
** The treatment of candidates by the majority of companies is a sore point, not only with me but with many others. What’s interesting to me is that this treatment is now getting some serious attention with multiple recruiting industry people writing about it. Here I collect and quote from several articles, and then opine at the end.
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TOP OF THE FOLD
5 Good Reasons to Schedule Informational Interviews
http://www.jobjenny.com/the-blog/2014/12/28/5-good-reasons-to-schedule-informational-interviews
** But don’t call them “informational interviews”; interview is such a loaded term it can scare otherwise-willing contacts. I prefer the term “networking/informational conversation“.
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How to Market Yourself for Opportunities That Feel Like a Stretch
http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2013/04/04/how-to-market-yourself-for-a-long-shot-opportunity
** Transferrable skills, baby!
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Don’t make this major job search mistake
http://www.keppiecareers.com/job-search-mistake/
** The short version: don’t do anything job-search related from work using an employer’s resources. Nothing. Nada. Zip. Zilch.
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10 Follow Up Steps After The Interview: Strategies To Help You Get The Offer
https://www.bluesteps.com/blog/10-follow-up-steps-after-the-interview-strategies-to-help-you-get-the-offer.aspx
** Excellent.
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Why You Should Reach Out and Touch Someone
http://www.amanet.org/training/articles/Why-You-Should-Reach-Out-and-Touch-Someone.aspx
** An important psychological tidbit… but potentially a bit creepy in a job search setting.
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6 Steps To Asking For A Reference
http://www.careerealism.com/asking-for-reference-steps/
** And don’t let the only time they hear from you be when you need them.
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How To Get People To Like You: 7 Ways From An FBI Behavior Expert
http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/10/how-to-get-people-to-like-you/
** Now this is really interesting! The book mentioned is:
It’s Not All About Me: The Top Ten Techniques for Building Quick Rapport with Anyone
** I think I need this book; note that a little of the advice in this article contradicts another book I’ve read and recommend:
How to Make People Like You in 90 Seconds or Less
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What Every Job-Seeker Needs to Know About Selling
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/what-every-job-seeker-needs-know-selling-liz-ryan
** Looking for work? You are in marketing and sales, regardless of the position you actually seek.
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10 Most Influential Languages In The World – Which Languages Will Make You Most Employable?
http://thecareercafe.co.uk/blog/?p=3637
** Not as easy as it sounds, but doubtless kudos for the effort. And FYI, while I do not claim to be a linguistic expert, but… for native English speakers, a few observations from my own experience. 1) I took Japanese for a year; the hardest part was the fact that the grammar structure is totally alien, as are the multiple layers of politeness. The lack of spaces in the written language can be a parsing issue. 2) Russian: I’ve picked up a little; at issue is pronunciation – a lot of consonants in a row (took me two years to say “Zdravstvoitie” – hello – correctly, and I only recently mastered “gruibuie” – mushroom). 3) Chinese (Mandarin): Very sensitive to inflection/intonation. 4) Hebrew, which I need to get going on for my children’s sake, has sounds an English-only tongue isn’t accustomed to. The lack of vowels in adult-level print is also a barrier.
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FOR OLDER WORKERS
How to Look For a Job If It’s Been 10+ Years Since You’ve Had To
http://chameleonresumes.com/2014/05/18/how-to-look-for-a-job-if-its-been-10-years-since-youve-had-to/
** It’s a whole new world.
—
7 mistakes that make your professional resume – and you – look old
http://info.theladders.com/career-advice/outdated-resume-mistakes
** General, but good.
—
Choosing the right candidate for the job ?
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20140719202418-161616976-choosing-the-right-candidate-for-the-job
** OK, applies to everyone, but in particular – how can you, as a “seasoned” person, leverage this?
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The Best Advice For A Career Change
http://www.careerealism.com/career-change-best-advice/
** Important if you’re looking at a change.
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Futurists Insights Series – Janine Truitt
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mc0iWTTTU_Y
** Video. Leverage your years of perspective to anticipate what’s coming – and get in front of the pack.
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NETWORKING
The Top 8 Networking Boo-Boos
http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2012/06/28/the-top-8-networking-boo-boos
** All good. I’d add “#9: Give value back.”
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How to Handle Job Networking
http://www.theemployable.com/index.php/2014/09/16/handle-job-networking/
** Proactively help people; the time to dig your well is not when you’re thirsty.
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The Power of a Referral
http://www.thewisejobsearch.com/2013/11/the-power-of-referral.html
** Referrals work because the person doing the referring understands their reputation is being put on the line… as does the person receiving it. Thus, they take care to refer people whom they know and believe are a good match.
—
Follow The 80/20 Rule To Not Be An Annoying Networker
http://www.fastcompany.com/3038052/follow-the-80-20-rule-to-not-be-an-annoying-networker
** Quote: “In a nutshell: At any given networking event, spend 80% of your conversations focusing on whomever you’re talking to—and only 20% on self-promotion.” Yup.
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Networking Basics: 8 Tips to Networking Without Being Fake (video)
http://marshawright.com/networking-basics-8-tips-to-networking-without-being-fake-video/
** Seven minute video; entertaining and good coverage. (Note, a possibly NSFW word or so, depending on how easily you or others around you take offense.)
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Holiday Networking: Business Parties
http://forwardmotioncareers.com/motivation/holiday-networking-business-parties/
** Applies anytime, actually.
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3 Questions To Building Effective Relationships
http://www.social-hire.com/career–interview-advice/4927/3-questions-to-building-effective-relationships
** Good questions to examine what you do.
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COVER LETTERS
Your generic cover letter, as experienced by a hiring manager.
http://www.jobjenny.com/the-blog/2014/4/13/your-generic-cover-letter-as-experienced-by-a-hiring-manager.html
** Heh. Clever.
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Are Cover Letters a Waste of Time?
http://www.job-hunt.org/resumes/cover-letters-waste-time.shtml
** No. Especially if you’re writing to a person.
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How to Differentiate Your Cover Letter from Your Resume
http://www.flexjobs.com/blog/post/differentiate-your-cover-letter-resume/
** I say it again – a cover letter’s goal is to entice someone to read your resume.
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3 Cover Letter Tips That Guarantee an Interview
http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2013/07/25/3-cover-letter-tips-that-guarantee-an-interview
** Enticement to read further.
—
Infographic: Cover Letter Must-Haves
http://www.social-hire.com/career–interview-advice/4810/infographic-cover-letter-must-haves
** Definitely, don’t be generic.
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RESUMES
How to Manage Résumé Challenges
http://forwardmotioncareers.com/cover-letter-resumes/how-to-manage-resume-challenges/
** IMHO the best way to deal with “elephants in the room” is to proactively address them. This way you control when it comes up, and by giving 80% of the information, you may satisfy the question without being in a digging-your-own-grave-explaining scenario.
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Capture Employer Interest: Make Your Tech Skills “POP” on Your Resume
http://www.job-hunt.org/IT-job-search/effective-IT-skills-resume.shtml
** Good, but a lot of this requires that you get your resume to a person.
—
How to Create and Use an Infographic Resume
http://www.personalbrandingblog.com/how-to-create-and-use-an-infographic-resume/
** Intriguing, but seems a little gimmicky IMHO.
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7 Strategies To Get More Recruiters To Read Your Resume
http://www.careerealism.com/recruiters-read-resume-strategies/
** Basics.
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5 Things People Reading Your Resume Wish You Knew
https://www.themuse.com/advice/5-things-people-reading-your-resume-wish-you-knew-1
** I disagree with one thing: if you network well, you’re getting to the hiring manager without passing through HR. But in general, yes, HR is the gatekeeper.
—
Top Thing Most People Forget To Include On Their Resume
http://www.careerealism.com/forget-include-resume/
** Hey, sounds familiar!
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INTERVIEWING
4 Consequences of Lying in a Job Interview
http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2014/12/01/4-consequences-of-lying-in-a-job-interview
** Plus, you have to remember what you lied about, to whom you lied, and so on. IMHO, not worth it.
—
Don’t Ask These Questions During An Interview
http://www.careerealism.com/interview-questions-dont-ask/
** The First Rule: Don’t screw up.
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Dress For Interview Success
http://www.forbes.com/2010/02/16/job-interview-fashion-forbes-woman-style-meetings-10-mistakes.html
** While corporate cultures vary, IMHO it’s better to be overdressed and, for example, take off your tie and jacket, than the other way. And dressing up shows respect. My essay on dressing up:
Fit to be Tied
https://davidhuntpe.wordpress.com/2013/08/20/fit-to-be-tied/
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Given the achievements on your resume, why is your salary so low? (Job interview question)
http://www.lioncubjobsearch.com/2014/05/given-achievements-on-your-resume-why.html
** Interesting question; and some thoughts on why they’re asking. Another question that I’ve never been asked, but is one for which you should prepare:
What seems least attractive about this position?
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20141013032227-10326243–what-seems-least-attractive-about-this-position
** I’ve certainly been asked “What attracts you about this job?”. This is an interesting twist.
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How does hostage negotiation get people to change their minds?
http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2013/06/hostage-negotiation/
** Some of these could, doubtless, be very useful in an interview!
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What do you do in your spare time?
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20141029021351-10326243-what-do-you-do-in-your-spare-time
** Same thing as always. Plan how to take over the world. ;)
—
Job Interview Infographics
http://www.pinterest.com/tfsullivan/job-interview-infographics/
** Lots of info here.
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What’s Your ONE Word?
http://www.social-hire.com/career–interview-advice/4844/whats-your-one-word
** This sounds like yet another “gimmick” question.
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BRANDING / SOCIAL MEDIA
How To Develop A Strong Network On LinkedIn
http://www.careerealism.com/develop-strong-network-linkedin/
** A smaller, but stronger, network is better. Something I need to work on too.
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5 Tips on Using Social Media to Build Your Personal Brand
http://socialrocketmedia.com/5-tips-on-using-social-media-to-build-your-personal-brand/
** I find the last point interesting. Specifically, show your personality but you dare not offend anyone. In other words, welcome to the “New Puritanism”. A related one:
15 Social Media Mistakes That Will Ruin Your Career
http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/6758-social-media-mistakes.html
** So have a profile, but not too much. You can be forgiven, but only for an unspecified finite number of offenses. I’m not advocating being outrageous, but to stay on the “right side of the line” people will be overly-cautious… destroying the utility of SM as a way to investigate personalities. Just as I had foreseen:
Social Media Vetting: Proposed Standards (Long)
https://davidhuntpe.wordpress.com/2014/03/13/social-media-vetting-proposed-standards-long/
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10 Writing Tips for Great Social Media Posts
http://socialmouths.com/blog/2014/10/14/10-writing-tips-great-social-media-posts/
** Interesting. Though if too long people can get tired as you build to the point.
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GENERAL
Fixing These Mistakes Tripled My Phone Interview Success Rate
http://www.careerealism.com/phone-interview-success-rate-mistakes/
** I definitely endorse the idea of waiting for a heartbeat or two to be sure the other person has stopped speaking. Without visual cues, it’s hard to be sure they’re really stopped or taking a breath.
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9 Ways To Make The Wrong Impression On Your First Day
http://www.careerealism.com/wrong-impression-first-day/
** Important once you land.
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Being ‘Pleasantly Persistent’!
http://www.thewisejobsearch.com/2009/05/being-pleasantly-persistent.html
** There’s a fine, fine line between persistent and pest.
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8 Survival Tips For The Laid Off And Looking
http://www.careerealism.com/laid-off-survival-tips/
** Good basics.
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7 Places You Should Be Looking for Work (That Aren’t Job Boards)
http://www.youtern.com/thesavvyintern/index.php/2014/12/31/7-places-you-havent-looked-for-a-job-but-should/
** Following companies can be a good idea.
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DO NOT WRITE that Thank You Note
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/do-write-thank-you-note-erin-l-albert-mba-pharmd-jd
** Differentiate yourself. Gratitude and added value.
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10 Twitter Accounts Every Job Seeker Should Follow
http://linkis.com/com/7oW52
** Interestingly, I already follow most of them!
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People think sleeping with your boss can boost your career…but it’s still a really bad idea
http://40pluscareerguru.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/people-think-sleeping-with-your-boss.html
** I saw an infographic that – among many other things – talked about candidates sleeping with the hiring managers; IIRC I posted a link to it too in a prior aggregate. Never, ever a good idea! What was interesting to me, though, was that the percentage of those being asked for (ahem) “favors” by the hiring manager was about the same as the percentage of candidates who admitted doing so.
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UNDERSTANDING THE OTHER SIDE OF THE TABLE
When Applicants Warp Your Bell Curve
https://www.recruiter.com/i/when-applicants-warp-your-bell-curve/
** Can you reverse engineer some of what’s here to help you if the company where you’re applying uses these tests?
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A manager’s toughest decision: Which candidate makes the best hire?
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/managers-toughest-decision-which-candidate-makes-best-martin-yate-cpc
** What’s going through their mind?
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The Art of Interviewing and How to Avoid Interview Seduction
http://theundercoverrecruiter.com/interview-art-avoid-seduction/
** Insights into the other side’s play book.
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How Do Employers Find Their Ideal Candidate?
http://www.careerealism.com/how-employers-find-candidate/
** What are they thinking?
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SALARY
The Exact Words to Use When Negotiating Salary
http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2013/02/21/the-exact-words-to-use-when-negotiating-salary
** Interesting, but I’m not quite sure it’s that simple. But that’s MHO. Playing “strong and silent” does sound intriguing.
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Negotiating Salary From the Employer’s Point of View
http://www.personalbrandingblog.com/negotiating-salary-from-the-employers-point-of-view/
** How can you use these insights when it’s time for you to talk turkey?
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Do You Know How to Negotiate for Your Compensation?
https://www.bluesteps.com/blog/do-you-know-how-to-negotiate-for-your-compensation
** No matter how many of these I see, it’s still a black art.
—
How to answer the question ‘What’s Your Salary Requirement?
https://exploreb2b.com/articles/how-to-answer-the-question-whats-your-salary-requirement
** In this market, you can’t get away with being too evasive. I remember in a video-taped interview exercise, one of the people in the group refused to give an answer. As an observer waiting for my turn, her absolute refusal to name any kind of number was off-putting. In this economy, with employers looking for reasons to rule you out, can you afford to dance this dance?
