| CAREERS NOW 02-11-09 |
| Boost Your Job Search with Expert Advice |
DEAR JOYCE: I hope to become a "gone-backer," having been out of
paid jobs for eight years raising kids. I don't know where to start. Help? - M.J.H.
You can't count on the ways that worked eight years ago to find a job you want today. Rebuild your foundation knowledge
about process, tools and finer points. To get your skates on faster, grab knowledge from books or seek competent
online help. Concerning the latter, the best advice isn't free. My favorite: Champion recruiter Tony Beshara's
tutorial on TheJobSearchSolution.com, which offers
six advice modules at $25 each, or $100 for all.
Once you've brushed up on essential search skills, tips from various job experts may save you time and stress.
Like the following advice bites.
VALUE VALUE. "Communicate the value of your work. Think of yourself like a contractor who comes to
a house to give an estimate for a job. Contractors don't spend time telling you how good they are. They inform
you of the value of their work - your basement will be bone dry, new windows will reduce your energy costs by hundreds
of dollars. Similarly, communicate the value of your work, citing examples from your past." - Annie Stevens,
partner, ClearRock, an executive coaching and outplacement firm in Boston.
RECONNECT WITH PAST. "Don't be shy about reaching out to people you haven't spoken to in a long time.
They haven't reached out to you either. And they'll be happy to hear from you - and glad you made the first move."
-Martha I. Finney, author of "Rebound: A Proven Plan for Starting Over After Job Loss" (FT Press).
SWEAT THE DETAILS. "Don't even think about using a generic cover letter. Be certain that each cover
letter addresses the specific needs and requirements a position requires." -Debbie Ellis, president, Phoenix
Career Group Inc. in Houston.
NETWORK CONSIDERATELY. "Networking Do's - be professional and courteous; proofread all e-mails; ask
insightful and thoughtful questions; ask for names of others who may be willing to help you; send thank-you notes
to contacts whether or not they were helpful; stay in touch with contacts after you find a job.
"Networking Don'ts - make a contact feel used and manipulated; ask a contact to find you a job; send generic
e-mails to new or existing contacts; send a copy of your resume if it was not requested; miss or be late to a meeting;
monopolize someone's time when the person has agreed to speak with you." - Shawn Graham, author of "Courting
Your Career" (JIST).
FIND GOOD EMPLOYERS. "Even when you really need a job, don't set yourself up to solve one problem and
create another. If in serious doubt about what you may be getting into, consider interviewing at the beginning
or the end of a day, when you can observe employees coming in and going out. In the morning, are you watching a
parade of Downer Dougs and Gloomy Gretas? In the afternoon, are you watching a footrace to escape the premises?
In either case, the company may be a sweatshop. Find out for certain before signing on." - Kay Stout, career
coach in Oklahoma City.
INCLUDE TIMELY TOOLS. "Executive job seekers are increasingly turning to technology - creating video
resumes, and signing up for social networking sites like Facebook and LinkedIn, where they incorporate graphics
and multimedia into their portfolios. They also are posting videos on YouTube to market themselves." - Della
Giles, director of BlueSteps.com.
STAY POSITIVE. "Even in a job market with 10 percent unemployment, there's 90 percent employment. Remember,
it doesn't matter how many jobs are or aren't out there. You're just looking for one - the right one for you."
- Carol Vecchio, executive director of Centerpoint Institute for Life and Career Renewal in Seattle.
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