Are you looking for a new career, or just looking for a job after being out of the market for awhile?
Follow this great advice from Miriam Salpeter, Job Search Coach and Consultant (keppiecareers.com).
1. Know what you want and be clear about it on an interview – jack of all trades is not a good career path!
2. Take a tip from Peter Pan – learn how to crow! Be proud of your skills, and get really good and sharing that and why you stand out from the crowd.
3. Leverage Social Media like Google+, Twitter and LindedIn – post USEFUL news and information for your field.
4. Make sure you have good listening skills – you can’t follow instructions that you don’t remember.
5. Follow up after an interview or social encounter – keep the conversation going and don’t assume the other person will seek you out.
You can find the rest of Miriam’s recommendation on Marlo Thomas’ Huffington Post Channel.
There are several sources of good advice out there and you would be wise to seek out several. Wiki-How has information that was compiled/edited by 135 people – here are a few of the highlights:
1. Update your Resume and follow these guidelines:
a. DO NOT LIE! It will catch up with you and just isn’t worth it. Amazing how many people actually do this, and trust me – word gets around and it will bite you in the a–.
b. Make it an interesting read by using ACTIVE verbs, rather than passive
c. EDIT!!! This can’t be stressed enough, you wouldn’t believe how many people don’t do this, and it will not shine a favorable light on you if you submit an article with typos.
d. Keep the font simple – do not use script and minimize use of bold and italics. Most recommendations say use black ink on white paper, but I have heard that pastel colors stand out in a stack of white resumes, so not sure about that one!
2. It will serve you very well to develop your own Elevator Pitch. This is a technique that many marketers use, and after all – you are trying to sell yourself as the best person for the job! Keep it short – 30 seconds to 2 minutes max, and rehearse it until you could recite it anywhere, anytime without pause.
Practice this out loud as much as you can, because you don’t want to sound like you memorized it for a class like a robot – have some inflection and enthusiasm in your voice!
3. Remember it isn’t just about YOU getting a job – you need to also demonstrate your desire and ability to help the company succeed, not just impress them with what a wonderful person you are!
Develop a good attitude, confidence, and be willing to put yourself out there, and be willing to work your way upward if necessary. Your wake-up alarm will be going off before you know it!
Image by Arthur40A on Flickr.
