HALLWORLDHISTORY.COM ? Making Your Move, Part 1

16 March 2012

Posted by Jody under: Health .

Parts one and two of this series focused on figuring out what you really want to do with your life. We covered how to assess whether you need to make a change and how to evaluate which option is the best one for you. The next challenge is actually making the transition to a new job or career. In this column, we?ll cover the most successful of today?s job search techniques.
I realize many of you are hoping that all you have to do is find some good employment Web sites, apply for a few positions and sit back and wait for the phone to ring. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it?s not quite that easy. Recently a client came to see me, discouraged that after six months of applying for more than 100 jobs on the Web, he had yet to land something. It?s true that the Internet is changing the way companies recruit, but the reality is that applying for jobs listed on the Net or in the paper is successful for only about 15 percent of the job hunters out there. The rest of us have to combine surfing the Web with a more proactive approach and a lot of hard work.

The best way to find a job is to treat it like full-time work. If you are currently employed, this is more difficult, but even those in full-time jobs need to devote at least 10 hours a week to their job search if they want to end up with a good opportunity. You want to avoid taking the first thing that comes along because you are too time-pressed to look for anything else. If you settle for something not quite right, you may end up back in the job market before long.

Those job hunters that fare best are the ones who track down every lead, follow up on every opportunity, and use a variety of job search methods. The reward for all of that effort is to end up with two to three job offers, allowing you to choose the one that?s best for you. Having more than one offer puts you in a strong negotiating position and increases the chance that you?ll get the salary, title and benefits that you are looking for.

Now that you are motivated to go about this the right way, here are the elements that go into a successful job search:

Your resume is still your number one job search tool. If you are changing careers, you need to gear your resume to your new target area by highlighting skills and experiences that are relevant to the position you?re pursuing.
Your resume should be accomplishment-oriented (with results quantified whenever possible), clear and concise. Many people make the mistake of trying to fit everything they?ve ever done into their resume. Before you include an accomplishment, a part-time job you had in college, or your favorite hobby, ask yourself, ?Is this relevant to the position I?m applying for?? If the answer is no, leave it off. Recruiters review hundreds of resumes every week, and they appreciate the streamlined approach. Another important point about resumes: These days, many companies use scanners to transmit information from your resume into their tracking system. To ensure that your resume is captured in the system properly, follow these guidelines:

Avoid using italics, graphics and any unusual fonts. Scanners often can?t read fancy text, so keep it simple to ensure your information is readable.
Make sure to mention key skills that the system might search for.

For example, if you?re applying for a marketing position, and every ad you see lists Internet marketing experience as highly desirable, make sure to highlight this on your resume if it?s something you have.

If you?re going to e-mail your resume, attach it as a text file to ensure that the recipient can open it, no matter what software program they use.
Cover letters give you the opportunity to highlight the parts of your background which are especially relevant to the position you?re applying for. You should include information that shows you have thought about why this company and/or industry would be a good fit for you. Make sure cover letters are well-written, no longer than one page, and proof-read by a second set of eyes.

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