I started to think what relevance this experience has for the job search—what do you need to trust in the way of new skills so that things turn out for the best and as you hope? One way is to work your rejects—something most job candidates don’t do. We tend to want to close the chapter and move on. But by not working the rejects, we miss out on a potential gold mine of information and opportunity!

 First you may be saying, “What rejects—I never heard from the xyz organization!” And you probably won’t. These companies are swamped with resume and application responses, many of which don’t even fit the job description! You can make an initial contact by phone or email that says, “I just wanted to know where you are in the selection process and let you know that I am still interested.” If they have made a decision, and you were not selected, here’s what you can do:

Tips on how to work your rejects: Write a letter (you can send an email, too, but a letter is more personal) basically saying “Congratulations to the person who was selected for the position and although I would have enjoyed being part of the team, I would appreciate any other suggestions you may have of where I might best use my skills.” Let them know you will be calling to follow-up to this letter. Then make the call. You can leave a message that says, “You were expecting my call” because you said so in your letter! You don’t know who this person might know who could be of help to you! It will also give you a sense of bringing closure to that job prospect!

There are several reasons this strategy has some good success:

1. Most job candidates do NOT do this, so you are going to stand out just by making the effort!

2. The employer may feel a bit “guilty” that you were rejected and more inclined to respond to your request.

3. Since you are going to be asking the person for “advice” (and since most of us love to give advice and aren’t often asked) you are giving the person an opportunity to be helpful!

4. It keeps you in the loop in case the person they hired does not “work out” for one reason or another! I knew someone who got a job this way…the employer simply did not want to start the interview process all over again. The candidate made it easy for them to hire her! And she was a good fit for the job!

Trust that the new skills you are applying to your job search will yield results and Work Those Rejects! By being more proactive, it will also boost your confidence in your search!

Do people get jobs through internet ads and filling out job applications? Sure. But if you are doing this exclusively, you are basically wasting your time! This did not work in the best of economic times. Today, you need a better strategy! Think Spring and New Beginnings!

Networking is Key! Recently, I spoke with a Human Resources Manager who said, “When I post a job online, I get swamped with resumes. There is one thing, however, that will move that application to the top of the stack…if I get a call or email from someone I personally know that tells me to look for a particular resume. That one will get my attention, and that’s the person I want to meet!”

How do you get this referral? Through Networking, and here are some low and high tech tips:

• Tell everyone you know you are looking for work whether they are in your field of work or not. They know other people and leads will often come from the least expected sources! Sometimes this is the hardest part because you feel you are bothering people as you deal with job search rejection. Keep at it! Be clear on what you are looking for so you make it easy for others to “get” it.

• Look for job search support groups in your community, such as your Workforce Center or the city where you live. Ask your reference librarian to help you with this.

  You can even form your own group. Just be sure these are not “complaint” sessions! A little of that is fine and probably healthy, but the idea is to listen, give leads and help each other move forward! You might think of asking each person to be accountable for “What did you do this week? What help do you now need?” That will keep the group focused!

• Attend meetings or conferences with professional organizations in your field of work. Do an internet search or ask for assistance from your reference librarian. Often you can attend a meeting the first time as a guest (sometimes for free or a guest fee). See what connections you can make there. But be sure you are ready to “give” and not just “take.” For example, if the group appeals to you, volunteer to be on a committee, such as registration for an upcoming event. You are likely to meet more members and other guests this way and you will be seen as a giver not just a taker! As a volunteer, you might also be able to learn some new skills with this group while you are making a contribution.

• Get Job Focused with Social Media: When you do an internet search of YOU…what do you find? Your prospective employers will be checking out your electronic presence! The advice now is you should be on at least two forms of Social Media, preferably Linked In and one other, like Facebook or Twitter for your job search. Watch your privacy settings with social media before you start any of this. Take a free class at your Workforce Center or library or sign up for one at your Community College if you don’t know where to begin with Linked In.

• Here are the key elements for Linked In: Your Profile, Connections, Recommendations and Groups:

• Work on your Profile first, then work on Connections (inviting people you know on Linked In to be part of your network). Set a goal to increase the number of Connections each month. Then work on getting and giving Recommendations.

• Finally, and maybe most important of all—choose Groups you want to be involved in. These are the professional organizations, some large, some small, and many will be the ones mentioned in Networking above. Get involved in the discussions that are offered there or pose a question to the Group. You will often hear about job openings as well.

2012 is a Leap Year, and it’s now officially Spring…Take a Leap Forward with Your Search!

Whether the groundhog sees his shadow or not, you probably need to get your resume in shape! Here are some tips:

Content:

• Look at samples of resumes you like for content and appearance (I like the books by Martin Yate, Knock ‘em Dead Resumes, Knock ‘em Dead Cover Letters)

• Beyond what your responsibilities were, you want to include accomplishments—what did you do that will help this employer! Do that by quantifying your work. Every job can be quantified: What was the scope of the project? How many people did you manage? How large was the organization/department? How much money were you responsible for? How much money did you save? By what % did you decrease turnover?

Include:

• 7 to 10 years of work on your resume—the exception is if you want to return to work you’ve done prior to this time frame; then you will have to include those years and experiences.

• One to two pages is best

• Include your name and contact information on the 2nd page in case it gets separated

• You can include a separate Client List if you have been self-employed or worked as a contractor. Do this alphabetically.

• If responding to a job description, include words related to it. Read the job description carefully!

Omit:

• Graduation dates on schools (unless you are a recent grad)

• Hobbies and interests (unless it relates to this job)

• Marital status

• “References provided on request” This is a given.

• Be sure to spell check! This is important and if your resume is scanned for key words—misspellings will be ignored by the scanner!

Volunteer Work that uses your Skills:

• Choose these projects carefully—especially if you have a lot of time on your hands—organizations will all want you!

• It’s a way to keep your skills current and make a difference

• It’s a self-esteem boost!

Temporary Work that uses your Skills:

• You can register with one or more temp service companies—the general rule is go to an assignment, and do the best you possibly can in order to get more assignments.

• Some of these positions can turn into full-time (or temp to hire) positions.

Addressing Gaps in Employment:

• Be honest with yourself and an employer about the gaps—you don’t need to provide all the details if personal. Maybe you were a stay at home mom; maybe you were caring for an elderly parent; maybe there were health related issues.

• Volunteer & temp work are both legitimate work experiences to address some gaps in employment.

References:

• Include as a separate sheet, not in your resume.

• Be clear when you ask for references what you want them to emphasize. Check in advance that they will give you a good reference—don’t assume!

• Be sure to use the Recommendations in your Linked In to get and give referrals.

Review of your resume—by two different kinds of reviewers~

• Ask someone to review it who does resumes in general; Usually someone with an HR background is very good at this.

• Then have someone review it who is in your field of work or the work you want to get into! There might be key words or concepts you have missed, but they won’t.

• You have to like it! In the end analysis you make the call. If you are getting interviews, or you are getting good comments about your resume, it is working for you!

• It used to be you had one or two resumes and your Cover Letter was tailored to the job…that simply is not good enough in this job market! Your resume should be tailored to this job opening.

Style/Appearance:

• White space—leave margins and some white space—some hiring managers like to take notes on a hard copy of your resume

• Size of letters shouldn’t be too large or small

• Font (for a lot of text you want Times New Roman (anything with seraphs or ‘tails’ like a book or newspaper because it is easier to read).

• Arial or Verdana are sans seraph fonts and are better for headers or sections of your resume.

• If you are including a resume in an email, select plain text & use sans seraph fonts

Finally, use a good quality paper when you print it.

Perhaps my favorite quote on resumes is from Tom Jackson, who wrote Guerrilla Tactics in the Job Market: “Make it Beautiful!”

And so you should since your resume represents you!