Career Management Alliance Blog

Richard Nelson Bolles, author of “What Color Is Your Parachute?” and job search guru for almost 40 years, was spotlighted yesterday in the New York Times. He spoke recently at the 92nd Street Y in Manhattan about the changing job search landscape.

He recommended several Websites for job hunting, including Job-Hunt.org and Indeed.com.

Unimpressed with Monster.com and other job boards, he noted,

“There are too many jobs that have complicated job titles. Consequently, employers may call a job by one title and the job hunter may call it by another; therefore, the site will say there is no match.”

Just one of the many reasons the big job boards may not work for you. Don’t completely abandon them, but you’ll greatly improve your chances of landing a job that’s a good fit by concentrating more of your efforts on a targeted campaign, locating and contacting the right employers.

Taking the time to research the websites of companies that interest you can result in finding jobs that aren’t listed anywhere else. While looking at the company sites, you will also gain valuable company background information that will help you in an interview with them, if you manage to get one.

Posted by Meg Guiseppi

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Yesterday I attended an Asian Pacific American Heritage Month (APAHM) celebration to commemorate the contributions of people of Asian and Pacific Islander descent in the United States. Below are several professional associations, web resources and books dedicated to helping Asian Americans advance their careers and contributions in the workplace. 

Professional Associations 

The largest organization, National Association of Asian American Professionals (NAAAP), provides its members with the tools and resources to further career advancement and to empower Asian Americans to become great leaders, as well as, reliable employees. To find more about the NAAAP and other organizations, read Dan Woog’s article Top 16 Asian American Professional Groups.

Job Portals 

There are niche career sites for Asian American that provide job postings, career management tools and resources needed to successfully navigate in U.S. workplace. A few of the more comprehensive portals are the Asian American Success Center, Asian American Village of IMDiversity.com, AsianLife.com  and the NAAAP Career Center. 

Books

Breaking the Bamboo Ceiling: Career Strategies for Asians by Jane Hyun

Invitation to Lead: Guidance for Emerging Asian American Leaders by Paul Tokunaga

Posted by Murray A. Mann

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From time to time a prospective resume client says to me, “I don’t know what kind of job I want. I just need a resume.” Unfortunately, I have to tell that job seeker that they’re not ready to work on their resume.

I know the very thought of diving into a job search can be at once scary, daunting, and filled with unknowns. And the entire job search landscape looks and feels different than even a few years ago. But don’t start out by investing time and/or money in an unfocused, generic resume. You can’t possibly move forward with any success if you don’t know what kind of job you’ll target in your search. You can’t get a great interview-generating resume under your belt without comprehensively targeting it.

Think about the hiring decision-makers who will be reading your resume. If it doesn’t immediately strike a chord with how you’ll fit a specific job they’re trying to fill, they’ll move on to the next candidate’s resume. Everything in your resume has to align as much as possible with the specific qualifications and areas of expertise they’re looking for. With probably hundreds of resumes to review for any given position, they don’t have the time or inclination to figure out how or where you’ll fit into their organization. Your resume needs to immediately tell them you’ll be a good fit.

If you don’t have a clue about what you want to do next, a great starting point is job-hunt.org. This site is a treasure trove of free resources, articles, and links to other helpful websites. I regularly send job seekers here when they’re on the fence about their next career move. Here you can find:

~ Hundreds of informative articles to help you decide what to do next so you can focus your search and your resume.

~ Information on how to target specific employers and find their job openings.

~ Links to hundreds of sites by industry to find job descriptions for practically any kind of position.

~ Advice on how to navigate a safe, informed, and successful online job search.

The site covers so many bases it can be overwhelming. But pretty much everything you need to know about real-life and online job search is there.

Posted by Meg Guiseppi

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It’s awards season. Diversity Inc., Fortune, Black Enterprise, disABLED, Hispanic Business, Human Rights Campaign, Working Mother, G.I. Jobs, AARP and other publications are releasing their annual lists of the best companies to work for. The directories are another valuable tool for use in your job search.  

To effectively make use of these lists we recommend that you take the following steps: 

• Determine that the organization uses legitimate selection criteria* and making decisions on the amount advertising dollars spent by a company
• Read the website’s rationale for choosing each employer by clicking on the links above
• Review the publication’s lists from the previous years to determine a company’s history as an employer of choice
• Research the employer – learn how at Quintessential Careers and job-hunt.org.
• Check out the company’s to website assess its commitment to diversity and inclusion
• Connect with the company’s diversity offices, recruitment programs and employee resource groups
• Network with industry-related professional associations that represent people of diverse backgrounds

Using these strategies can help you identify employment opportunities, determine your fit with the corporate culture, secure interviews, and increase your chances of getting hired.  

* How do credible publications chose which companies are the best employers?  Robert Bard, publisher of LATINA Style Magazine says that, “to select the annual list of 50 Top Companies for Latinas, we use  an extensive and transparent process listed on our website including a 140 question comprehensive survey (developed with the assistance of Catalyst, Working Mother Magazine, U.S. Census, Department of Labor and EEOC), conduct confidential interviews with Latina employees, verify applicant submissions through additional research and an outside review committee. It is a combination of many factors, not just a human resources issue; diversity must translate into all areas of a corporation.” 

Bard adds that, “We go to extreme lengths to insure that the Latina Style 50 is unimpeachable.  A company cannot buy its way onto the list. The majority of companies that are selected have never advertised with LATINA Style Magazine.” 

Posted by Murray A. Mann; cross-posted on Diversity Intelligence

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Wow, my blog on following up with on-line applications really hit a nerve. I am still receiving comments in my inbox. Some expressing the view that it is NOT up to the job seeker to follow-up (my response to that is: Whose job search is it?), some expressing the frustration of trying to follow-up on-line (my response: if you can’t follow-up on-line, then get off-line. Why continue using a system that is in place to screen you out and then act surprised when it does?) My view remains: no one cares if you work again but you. Take the initiative and if you run into a roadblock, go around it. So I was pleased to run across this newsletter article written by Susan Whitcomb, one of my personal heroes in the field of career coaching. This came in as a newsletter rather than a website so I am pasting it here.

Follow Through After Applying Online

It’s not enough to find openings on an employer’s Web site, attach your resume, and click “Submit.” You must follow through and connect with people in the company, preferably the hiring manager or people who influence the hiring decision. Peripheral contacts—those who do not influence the hiring decision directly but have knowledge about the company, the position, or the hiring manager’s preferences—are also be critical to your success.

Ideally, it’s best to find a referring employee prior to applying at the employer’s Web site. When you do, the insider can give you tips about applying. You can also include the person’s name on your online application because most large companies have an employee referral process that earns employees cash and other incentives for referring a new hire.

So how do you find the names of people who work at your target company? Jobseekers are finding that searches using Google.com or social networking sites, such as LinkedIn.com, are paying big dividends.

Once you find names, do not be afraid to get on the phone and talk to people. Telephoning often works better than e-mailing because you can get a conversation going. Don’t worry about looking too forward. Anyone who posts his profile on LinkedIn or has a resume online understands that networking is an important part of career management.

[If] the conversation has gone smoothly, look for ways to advance the relationship, especially if this individual has influence with the hiring manager. For instance, “I wonder if I might stop in and say hello when I interview there next week.” Or, “What’s your schedule like in the coming week. I’d love to buy you a cup of coffee.” Or, “May I mention to Joe, whom I’ll be interviewing with next week, that we had a chance to talk?”If the conversation has gone extremely well, ask for a referral: “Would you be able to let Joe know that we spoke? If you think I’d be a good fit for the company, I’d certainly appreciate a good word, especially if it might benefit you in terms of an employee-referral incentive.”

Any networking you can do prior to the interview will enhance your “familiarity factor.” Networking increases your knowledge about the company, adds to your career credibility, and increases trust levels with your interviewer and prospective coworkers. If you’re neck-and-neck with another top candidate for the position, the familiarity factor will often tip the scales in your favor!

Faith Sheaffer-Thornberry

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Did you know that 20% of Fortune 500 firms and all of the top 10 recruiters go to ZoomInfo.com to look for strong candidates? Staffing.org listed those statistics in a recent newsletter.

Go to ZoomInfo now and enter your name in the search space. Do you come up near or at the top of page one? That’s where you want to be. If you are not there or don’t like what you see, you can create your own profile rather than allow ZoomInfo to compile data on you from all over the Internet. According to Staffing.org, ZoomInfo.com has profiles on 39 million people and 3.6 million companies, with thousands of new profiles added daily. If you’re on LinkedIn.com you probably already have a personal brand summary that you can copy over into Zoom Info’s format. Or start from scratch using one of ZoomInfo’s as a model.

It’s all part of the changing nature of both search and job seeking. Recruiters and hiring managers proactively go out and search for top candidates whether they are employed or not. Job seekers are increasingly building distinctive personal brands that help make them the go-to person for a specific role. So be out there. Make sure your name and the information you want people to see shows up.

For ideas on building and strengthening your brand, you can’t do better than William Arruda’s and Kirsten Dixson’s Career Distinction. Start your New Year off right!

Posted by Jean Cummings

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Sean Aiken, founder of One Week Job, is traveling around the world trying a new job every week and documenting his journey. He writes:

“After finishing college with a business degree, I made a promise to myself that I wouldn’t settle for a career that I am not truly passionate about. My goal is to gain a better understanding of what I need in a career to be happy and inspire others to go after their passions.”

His concept is engaging on many levels. And I’m sure he’ll create an outstanding portfolio as a result of this endeavor.

But what about others of his generation who want to try many things before committing? Where does adventure and exploration end and uncommitted slacking begin?

Will the business world change to accommodate the Net Generation? In order to acquire entrepreneurial talent like Sean’s do hiring managers need to modify their requirements and accept a new kind of job history?

Whose expectations and behavior needs to change?

posted by Liz Sumner

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Occasionally, I am asked to speak to college graduates about the “reality” of a job search. The rules I present to grads are useful to any job seeker.

• Don’t speak to strangers, and that includes HR
• No one thinks you are as interesting (or as smart) as you do
• No one cares about your career but your mom

Don’t speak to strangers…
As a former HR wench, I can say HR is the gatekeeper (and we are good!), and you must try to avoid them to get in the door of your dream company. Contact the department manager or anyone in a decision making position outside of HR.

No one thinks you’re interesting…
A rule to remember when you are networking and interviewing. Keep your responses simple, direct, and short. Listen as well as speak. Be interested in others and ask questions to open a dialogue.

No one cares about your career…
The days of expecting a manager or company to keep your best interests in mind are long gone. The days of mailing out resumes and sitting back to wait for the calls to pile up never were productive. You must be willing to make contacts, follow up, and document your achievements when you do land a job.

OK, these rules might not be as practical as the clean underwear thing, but moms can’t be experts in everything!

Posted by Faith Sheaffer-Thornberry

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Identity theft is a growing and worrisome issue as we hear about theft or loss of sensitive data from government and other offices containing bank account records, social security numbers and other private information.

Although we strive to be more cautious in providing our personal data to protect ourselves, there’s a new arena ripe for scammers. Millions of job seekers complete online job applications and enter their private data on federal government and private industry websites. Online applications that require entering your Social Security number may pose a risk. Collecting such data doesn’t make sense since most applications will be deemed unqualified.

There’s no problem if it’s not a required field. However, you don’t want to be passed over when completing online applications. Mark Mehler, co-founder of CareerXroads, offers a solution that sounds logical (at least for private industry): make up a number. You can mention in your cover letter that you are concerned about private issues and will provide your correct number during the hiring process.

Posted by Louise Garver

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I had a call from a client yesterday needing a resume. She had been employed since college with one company - very rare, and thus had never done a resume. Unfortunately, her company decided to eliminate her division, so at the age of 51 she is looking for a job for the first time.

Have you noticed the signs of change on the job search front? Maybe it is just the end of the year budget crunch, but I’ve been contacted by former clients from at least three companies in the last week whose positions have been eliminated.

So are you prepared for a layoff? Does your resume reflect changes in your work status, a promotion, new technology you’ve learned, a hot certification you’ve earned? Peter Newfield, one of the top resume writers in the country, has a checklist in his newsletter, Job Seekers Secrets, that can help you determine if your resume needs updating.

And if you don’t have a resume, make it a priority to get one done ASAP. You never know what’s coming “down the pike” and it is always good to be ready should an opportunity present itself.

Posted by Julianne Franke

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