If you’ve spent time looking for a new job these days, then it shouldn’t surprise you to find out that, according to Harvard Business School, 65% to 85% of jobs are found through networking. That statistic was a big deal when it was released. To 99% of the population, it was like a brutal slap…
Category: Workplace
Employee experience can seriously impact your bottom line. The Employer Brand Index gives you insight into what talent really thinks about your company.
Let’s face it: the old way of job searching is a thing of the past. Answering a job ad won’t get us a solid career anymore. We must go to networking events, shape our professional brand, and prove that we’re the sort of candidate to watch.
In addition to all of these tactics though, all job seekers should have an updated work portfolio in their arsenal. Work portfolios tell the story of you, including where you came from and what you want to achieve. However, apart from the obvious benefits, work portfolios are starting to become the norm and it’s advisable for every job seeker to build one in order to paint the whole picture. Here’s why:
1. Standard resumes and cover letters don’t cut it
Resumes (as well as cover letters) won’t get someone the job on their own. Of course, job seekers need them, but the bullet points and the few paragraphs can’t tell your entire work story. On the other hand, work portfolios allow job seekers to add more to their case, such as previous career wins, specials skills and how they were used, endorsements, etc. Resumes and cover letters can only do so much, so think of work portfolios as picking up where they leave off.
Related: How To Create an ‘Alternative’ Resume on Prezi.
2. The HR department has limited time
If you weren’t aware already, human resource representatives may receive between 200 to 300 resumes per job. Who has time to go through hundreds of lines, dated objective statements, and cover letters that may or may not tell the right story? Not many.
Instead, a work portfolio not only sets job seekers apart from the competition, it does a better job of relaying why you may be right for the job by providing solid evidence as to opposed to beating around the bush about it. After all, you can say you accomplished something, but if you can show it, you’ll be in a better position to land the job.
3. Visuals catch the eye
We live in a world where images, videos, and graphics relay information better than script. Plus, with stacks of resumes on their desks, HR reps and recruiters would probably appreciate something that stands out from the norm.
For instance, if you were part of a successful advertising campaign, showing the copy, images, numbers, reports, etc., would do a better job at presenting your accomplishments than just saying you part of something that worked out in your favor.
4. Sharing current goals and progress is important
Sometimes, it’s all about what you’re working on now. Work portfolios have the ability to share current goals, as well as the progress you’ve made. This sort of real-time sharing also clues your audience in on your current projects, opens up the door for conversation, and shows how you perform on a day-to-day basis, which can tell the HR rep or recruiter a lot about what kind of candidate you are.
5. A work story means something
Your personal work story means something. It shapes who you are as a candidate and shouldn’t be an overlooked factor when applying for a job. Think of it this way: how much of “you” comes off when you send a cover letter or resume? Does it say how you work with others? Can it show what your specialities are to the T? Does it relay if you’ll fit in with the current company culture? Probably not.
A work portfolio can do all of those things since it enhances who you are as a candidate by providing the backstory your audience needs, which not only sets you apart, but also puts you at the head of the line when it comes to getting the job.
What do you think? What are some other reasons job seekers should have a work portfolio?
Related: Why Your Bio is the Most Important Career Document.
Morgan Norman is the Founder and CEO of Image credit kennymatic
In traditional branding, the goal is to position your product in the premium segment. When you achieve this you can increase the price of the product and the demand will stay constant. In personal branding, you can do the same thing – you can become an expert.
Who is an expert anyway?
An expert is someone that knows their stuff better than anyone else in their field. When you start a job, you are likely to look up to your seniors and ask them for advice. One of these senior colleagues will be an expert, the person that basically has the best subject matter knowledge and can tell the others how to do things. An expert is not necessarily a people manager, oftentimes they prefer hone their own skills than managing others.
Whenever you see traditional titles like professor, chief architect, field marshal or anything else pompous you can expect the person to be an expert. Nowadays, you get the ‘new’ titles such as ninja or guru to denote an expert. Thought leader is another popular label used liberally across the Internet.
Some would argue that you can only earn your expert status from your customers and peers, never by simply saying that you are one.
Why should you want to become an expert?
It may sound a bit dull but there are a number of advantages to being an expert. Two of these stand out with clear benefits.
The fist one is that everyone wants to work with or buy from the person who has the reputation, credibility and knowledge of an expert. This means there is an increase in demand but not in supply; the person only has so much time to do their work. The first benefit of being an expert is that with more demand, you can choose which customers to take on as opposed to engaging with everyone.
The second clear benefit of being an expert is one of classic economics. I just mentioned that demand goes up but the supply stays the same; this means the supplier can set a higher price for their product or service. Again, instead of catering for the masses and competing on price like everyone else, the expert can choose who to work with and request a higher fee.
How you can become an expert in your field
There are probably as many ways to becoming one as there are experts out there. Some of these ways keep being mentioned and to me they are the top three. The three activities you have to be doing to become an expert are: listening, communicating and creating.
1. Let’s start with listening
Listening is the first one, by this I mean picking up information from all corners of your industry. Read blogs, magazines, books, go to seminars and workshops, watch and listen to the right programmes on TV and radio. When you listen and take onboard all that information, you will by default be improving your skills and getting closer to being the expert every day. Information is power as the old saying goes.
Related: Top 10 Books About Networking Effectively.
2. Communicate with your target audience
Communicating is all about being out there and talking to the people that matter in your industry. Whether it’s a client meeting, a networking event or you are commenting on a blog – it’s all interaction with your target audience. When you are engaging with the community, you will notice exactly what problems they are looking to solve – allowing you to adjust your service offering accordingly.
3. Create something interesting
Creating finally is where you produce content that secures you that expert status. Choose your channel wisely here according to what fits your audience. You could for instance write blog posts, newspaper articles, record podcast or produce video content. If you are really serious about becoming an expert, try your hand at writing a book. Whatever you choose to do, the results of your creative output will lead to further promotion of your personal brand and increased interest from customers.
Related: How Blogging Can Boost Your Personal Brand.
The expert’s advice
5 Kick-Ass Reasons to Boost Your Personal Brand Today.
Image credit Angelo Gonzales
Do you have what it takes to be a victor in your job search? Like 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who fought her way to victory in the 74th Annual Hunger Games, unemployed job seekers are widely regarded by hiring managers as underdogs in today’s job search. With unemployment at 8.3 percent, the lucky few who are…
We use writing skills to engage, inspire or persuade people in our personal and work lives. In a career transition or active job search, writing skills are under sharp scrutiny. Each transition task, whether it is completing self-assessment exercises, creating a resume, crafting a cover letter or preparing additional marketing tools requires focused writing – one that is targeted, has meaning for your reader and clearly outlines your value to the potential opportunity.
STRATEGY – Focus & Purpose
Why are you writing?
The purpose of your writing must be clear. Is it request for a networking conversation? Is it to apply for an open position? Is it to share research information with a decision-maker in your target company? Give the reader a reason to read your letter!
What do you want the outcome to be?
The clearer the intended outcome, the more effective the writing. A reader typically asks, “Why am I getting this letter and what do you want me to do with it?” Invite the reader’s curiosity with compelling reasons.
Who is your audience?
Different readers make different meaning from the same piece of writing. Is it someone from within your field of expertise? Or is it someone who will not understand the terminology used from your field? Or will your writing reach people beyond your intended audience? Understand your audience and tailor your writing in content, tone and language to meet the needs of your audience.
STYLE – Organization & Design
Decide on the content.
Research the opportunity first. Second, identify and prioritize information according to importance and value to reader. Is your paragraph organized around one main idea? What kind of supporting statements can elaborate or explain your main idea? Are you using active verbs to engage the reader?
Match the style to the document.
Understand industry writing standards for your document. Each document, for example resume, cover letters, memos or addendums have unique writing attributes. Can a reader find information easily where s/he expects to find it on the document? Are profile statements or headings clearly identified? Have you emphasized your main ideas using italics, boldface or underlining as appropriate?
Organize the information.
Each document is typically divided into separate sections. Select information carefully for each section so that your writing flows quickly and easily. Use examples, charts, numbers or tables as appropriate to inform and persuade your reader.
IMPACT – Return on Investment Factor
Value Offered.
The employer has a current and potential need. Can you solve business problems now and in the future? Use information and language that is future focused and clearly links your skills to the deliverables in the opportunity. Make a business case for hiring – What will you bring immediately? Why are you the right fit? How will you be productive and engaged in the employer’s culture?
Create a Picture.
Use succinct examples to create a visual image of your success stories in the reader’s mind. Pay attention to the tone of your letter. Is it personal, courteous and positive? Does it clearly communicate benefits to the reader?
Follow-up Plan.
Close strongly. Revisit your purpose and share a proactive follow-up plan with the reader. When will you call to schedule a time to talk? What else can you do to invite curiosity? Ask for the sale!
Keep the communication simple, specific, conversational and inviting. Above all, keep it error-free.
Related: 8 Steps To Writing Your Bio Like a Pro.
Sunitha Narayanan is a certified career coach with a passion for connecting people and their talents to life and work opportunities. She is a co-active coach, empowering her clients to believe in their dreams, set actionable goals and actively create joy in their work lives. She is with OI Partners Promark Company, a firm that offers executive coaching, leadership development and outplacement services. Follow Sunitha on Twitter @sunithanarayana.
Image credit JohnONolan
Those of us who make our living in the field of recruiting have seen our share of resumes. During my tenure as a Sourcer, I would venture to say I viewed over a thousand resumes a month. Nearly all of these were standard print resumes posted on internet job boards and career sites. Recently, I…
I get asked quite a bit about networking and the relation to job search and personal branding. Sometimes it’s about where to find good networking events, sometimes it’s more about how to approach the whole networking thing. Networking is second nature to some people and it’s a bit foreign to others. Once you have developed…
In a difficult job market, making it to the job interview can feel like quite an accomplishment. But in reality, this is where your chance to land the position begins. Most human resource departments will interview several candidates for the job, and in a competitive job market the number of candidates that are interviewed for each position is increasing from three to five or more.
It is important to realize that you need to make the best impression from the time you enter the interview until well after the interview is over.
Preparing for the Interview
Most people know how to dress appropriately for an interview, but your preparation needs to go further than simply choosing the right pair of shoes and getting your haircut.
Prepare a portfolio that displays the work that you have done in the past. The best portfolios are built over time. If you have just graduated from school, you should highlight the classes that directly apply to the position you want. As you gain experience you should substitute out your class projects with examples that you have done in the workforce.
If possible you should also create an online portfolio to include in your resume and cover letter. Take a hard copy of your resume and a copy of your portfolio on a jump drive that you can give to the interview committee at the end of the interview.
In addition to your portfolio, take time to learn about the company. The company’s philosophy and business strategy should be online. Generally you can also find out about the people who are interviewing you or how the department you will be working in will fit into the company. The Internet makes it easier to find this information, but if you can use this in the interview it will help make a better impression.
Related: How To Best Prepare for Your Job Interview.
During the Interview
Practicing the basic interview questions is a good idea. Ask friends and family members to review the basic questions with you. You need to prepare for different interview situations such as a panel interview where you will be interviewed by several people instead of by just one person.
You need to make sure you make contact with each person you are speaking to throughout the interview. It is important to feel comfortable in front of the group.
If you are in a group interview where you and several other candidates are being interviewed at the same time, you should make sure that you volunteer answers for questions.
It is important that you have a unique answer that applies to your job skills and that you are not just echoing someone else’s answers. This is a difficult interview because you need to be assertive without coming across as being aggressive or rude.
In the interview you need a firm handshake, and make a personal connection with the person who is interviewing you. Make sure you highlight any experience you have that they specifically listed in the job description.
Each answer should connect back to one of the strengths you can offer the company with an example of how you have done it in the past. This is essential in the interview; you are selling yourself to the company. This means that it is okay to highlight your strengths and talk about how they can benefit the company.
Related: How To Behave in a Behavioral Interview.
After the Interview
Take time after the interview to make another good impression. Within twenty four hours you should send a thank you letter to the people who interviewed you. In the email or card you can mention your online portfolio again, but the letter should focus on how much you enjoyed the interview, and that you appreciate their time and consideration.
It does not need to be a long letter, but the people who interviewed you will remember you took the time to thank them. In addition to an email you can send a thank you note through the mail. This may make an additional impression. Be sure to use the correct names on the cards.
Related: How To Send a Follow-Up Thank You Letter.
Charissa Newark is the resident blogger and the editor for AccountingDegree.net. After graduating from the University of Maryland with a B.S. in English in 2005 and unable to find a “9-5”, Charissa began freelance writing and doing research for various websites. A few of the current topics she is researching include helping with choosing an online accounting school.
Image credit: Astragony
There are several things that you can do to make each interview as successful as it can possibly be. Each of these steps has an impact on helping you to get the kind of job you really want: 1. Always be punctual. Allow yourself enough time to get there, taking the address and the traffic…