The importance of video

Job hunters have been sold on ineffective job boards and many find the process of applying online, frustrating and ineffective in landing themselves a job. Similarly, employers are frustrated by systems that are unable to select viable candidates for them. Employers have been provided with many new platforms and so called advances in digital recruiting applications from software, cloud based applications and of course the web and professional network sites such as LinkedIn and new apps- BranchOut and BeKnown that mine facebook’s data in hopes of streamlining the hiring process. Have these advances really streamlined or changed the hiring process or have they created more work for both applicant/candidates and employers?

Are both job hunters and employers just spending more time looking for each other now rather than getting down to business? Just when it looked like we were heading into a digital hiring jungle with no end in sight, up pops Suki Shah and his team at GetHired.com who have found a way to streamline the job filling and job getting process.

Suki Shah CEO of GetHired.com and his team is reinventing the way that employers and job seekers connect in today’s digital world. It combines the visibility of a job board with the functionality of an applicant tracking system – allowing employers to find and pre-screen candidates using video and audio, conduct real-time virtual interviews and manage the entire hiring process. The bottom line is GetHired.com produces better-quality candidates, in less time, at no cost.

Candidates, Applicants and employers win-win

GetHired.com’s cutting-edge platform makes it easy for employers to empower job seekers to put their best foot forward in the hiring process – not only by generating qualified candidates but also candidates that are a cultural fit for their organization. By asking customized pre-screening questions and enabling job seekers to differentiate themselves using video and audio, employers are using the GetHired.com platform to more efficiently pre-screen and track candidates, cutting the weeks-long hiring process down to hours. GetHired.com provides employers with the technology to connect with candidates and not just a stack of resumes.

Real-time virtual interviews

“The team at GetHired.com is truly changing the way people find jobs and the way employers fill jobs by using the power of video to do pre-screening. This pre-screening works for applicants as well as for employers” said Paul Hill, Chief Instructor of TransitiontoHired.com and the Get Hired Fast Track show host. “Not only can employers and applicant/candidates do pre-screening of each other but they can also conduct real-time virtual video interviews cutting down the cost and time to hire for both parties.”

If you are an employer or a job hunter I urge you to embrace this innovative platform and visit www.GetHired.com and put GetHired to work for you.

You can view Suki Shah on the Get Hired FastTrack show at http://bit.ly/IOSU60

About Paul Hill

Paul Hill is the best selling author of the new book, The Panic Free Job Search: Unleash the Power of the Web and Social Networking to Get Hired (www.PanicFreeJobSearch.com). He is the Chief Instructor of TransitiontoHired.com (www.TransitiontoHired.com) a service that provides job search assistance and products that facilitate the job search process. TransitiontoHired.com is a division of ADV Advanced Technical Services Inc.

Contact:

TransitiontoHired.com

Paul Hill 1-888-277-8798

paul@transitiontohired.com

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In my new book ‘The Panic Free Job Search: Unleash the Power of the Web and Social Networking to Get Hired’, I refer to the resume as: “It is an evil that must be mastered, because at some point in the “job getting process” you will need to produce one. Yes, folks—the dreaded resume.” The resume is even more important and critical for job-seekers who rely heavily on the “click and send” approach to job search and therefore they must make sure it is engineered to get selected by the applicant tracking systems (ATS) used by many employers. The resume once created can also be mined for data and the data can be use throughout your professional image building efforts online. For most job hunters and career fast trackers, the resume is still a very important tool, regardless of its online or offline form, that needs to be optimized in order to get hired. This week I had the opportunity of speaking with award-winning Certified Résumé Strategist, Karen Siwak, from Résumé Confidential about the resume in “today’s” job search.

Is the resume dead?

As Mark Twain quipped, “the reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.” Resumes are by no means dead and will continue to play an important role in the job search and hiring cycle. But where as the resume was once the only document a job-seeker needed, now it is one piece in an arsenal of marketing material and smart job hunters deploy a variety of online and print tools in their strategic job search, including QR-coded business cards, biographies, LinkedIn profiles, blogs, social media accounts, websites, and, yes, resumes.

What are some resume pitfalls to avoid in order not to get the “ATS” kiss of death?

Job-seekers need to understand that there are two audiences for their resume – the computer or ATS system, which uses parsing and search algorithms to sort and find resumes, and human readers, who use the much talked about “10 second eye scan” to determine whether a resume warrants a deeper look. These two audiences use different criteria for evaluating resumes and the design principles that work for one won’t necessarily work for the other.

Unlike human readers, ATS systems aren’t influenced by resume length or visual aesthetics. They don’t care about fonts, or bullets, or white space. For a resume to fare well in an ATS system, it needs to follow basic formatting conventions: reverse chronological order; minimal graphics and tables; commonly understood section headings; contact information at the top of the page, but not within the header (headers and footers do not get scanned by the ATS). Beyond that, a resume submitted to an ATS system must have full information regarding job titles, companies and dates. They must include the keywords from the job ad, which will be used to screen and rank applicants. More advanced ATS systems will evaluate the context in which each keyword is used, and will give higher ranking to a keyword that is included within the description of a career accomplishment, compared to one that is included in a keyword table.

Is there a particular style of resume you recommend?

Except in very particular circumstances, a reverse chronological resume is the best style for most job-seekers. Recruiters and hiring managers prefer this format and ATS systems have been programmed to read it.

Are there any particular words that belong in a resume?

Both ATS systems and people will be looking for industry-specific and job-specific keywords in the resume. The right keywords can usually be found in the qualifications and responsibilities sections of the job description and job ad. Adjectives and adverbs are rarely keywords and an excessive amount of fluff or self-aggrandizing claims without proof will quickly turn a human reader off.

Should a job hunter have more than one resume and/or should they customize their resume for each position they apply for or employer they target?

Much like a company will have different brochures and messages for different markets and product lines, a job-seeker should customize their resume for their target audience. If you have multiple potential targets for your job search, you may need to create completely different resumes, highlighting the accomplishments that are most relevant for each target. Even when a job hunter has a single kind of position in mind, it is still a smart job search strategy to customize the resume with the right keywords and language for the target company.

Are cover letters a relic of the past or do still they have benefits in job hunting?

John Wanamaker once said that 50% of his marketing budget was wasted; the problem was he didn’t know which 50%.

Research indicates that less than 50% of cover letters get read, but when they do, they matter a lot. Some recruiters and hiring managers will read the cover letter before the resume, and won’t even look at the resume if there isn’t a cover. Some review the cover only after they’ve read the resume, and look for evidence that the impression made by the resume is correct. And some recruiters and hiring managers skip the cover letter altogether.

If you don’t know which 50% your target audience falls into, err on the side of caution and include a cover letter. Keep it brief, keep it focused, and keep your audience’s information needs in mind. If you are emailing your resume, you can consider omitting a cover attachment, and using the body of your letter as your email message.

Do you recommend a job hunter should first write a resume and then seek you out for professional help?

Professional resume writers and coaches don’t just rewrite your resume, they build it from the ground up, so there is no need for job hunters to write a first draft. To expedite the initial consultation, job hunters can prepare a basic career chronology, and have enough information at hand to be able to discuss their accomplishments, career path to date, and potential targets for their next career move. The writer will guide you through the process of creating the right messages for your target audience, and will take the pain out of creating marketing collateral that will work for your job search strategy.

What is the best job search advice you can give to a job-hunter when it comes to a resume?

Resumes are marketing collateral, so when it comes to writing your resume it pays to think like a marketer. Before you sit down to write, get really clear on who your target audience is and what their challenges, goals, and pain points are. Try to understand their buying motivators, the criteria that they will use to find the right candidate. Clearly define your value proposition, and back it up by evidence from your training and career accomplishments. Once you’ve completed this background research and analysis, you will be better equipped to create a resume that “speaks” to your target audience. This holds true whether you are looking for an entry level position or to become the company’s next CEO.

Many job hunters are reluctant to seek out a professional to have their resume written or to be coached because they think it costs too much. What advice do you have for these job-hunters?

If you think hiring a professional resume writer or job search strategist is too expensive, ask yourself how much being unemployed, underemployed or unhappy in your career is costing you. The learning curve for uncoached job seekers is two to three months – it takes that long to understand the career marketing techniques that will distinguish you from your competitors and it can take even longer for you to master them. For an investment that typically amounts to less than a week’s salary, a professional resume writer or job search coach can fast track your learning curve and help you ensure that you are targeting the right companies, with the right message, using the right tactics and the right marketing collateral, to find a job where you can do your best work.

Karen Siwak is an award-winning resume writer and one of four Certified Job Search Strategists in Canada. Her company, Resume Confidential, works with executives, senior managers, and credentialed professionals across North America to market themselves for their next career move. Follow her on twitter at @ResumeStrategy, or visit www.resumeconfidential.ca to find out more about her services.

To find out more on how to craft your compelling message as well as how to painlessly attract employers, recruiters, and opportunities, pickup Paul Hill’s groundbreaking book The Panic Free Job Search: Unleash the Power of the Web and Social Networking to Get Hired, from Career Press, NJ. Paul Hill is a career and job search coach, author and speaker. You can hookup with Paul, every week interactively during the Get Hired Fast Track “Questions & Answers” live broadcast and get free job search help or at www.TransitionToHired.com. Follow Paul Hill on twitter @GetHiredFastTrk

Job loss and childhood anxiety

Sometimes I think back to those cold November days as a child and getting home from school to find my mother in the warm kitchen baking cookies and preparing supper and all my sisters fighting to see who would get to lick the mixer beaters clean. I never worried about food or if I would have a warm place to sleep, all I had to do was open the fridge and grab whatever I wanted. I never had to worry if the lights would stay on or if I would have a lunch the next day. I was and still am an optimist but I am also saddened by the frequent calls I get from desperate professionals seeking work who are on the verge of having the lights turned off on their kids and also losing the nice cozy warm safe beds their children sleep in. Living with anxiety is not a great childhood. Don’t let your job loss ruin even one childhood.

Career professionals not prepared for job loss

It is clear from my practice as a job search coach that career professionals are ill prepared for job loss and job search. The tragedy is that the unemployed are frequently eating up all their savings and in some cases even losing their homes as they conduct futile job searches. Why are these job searches futile? Because many professionals still play the job search lottery by applying to jobs as their main job search tactic, relying on ineffective job boards and job postings to find work. The landscape has changed forever and professionals need to wake up to the new job search and create a professional image that attracts attention and respect online, and market that image through social media and social network sites.

Attract employers and job opportunities

When is the best time to start your career management and secure your income by promoting and marketing the professional you? When you are employed and barring that RIGHT NOW! You must develop a professional image online not simply a personal brand and you must promote the keywords that define you as a professional, gain online cred through social proof, and clearly point and link “all” to your online identity. When it comes to ProfessionaliBranding a LinkedIn profile is a good start but it is not enough. You need to develop a job search and career management strategy that attracts employers rather than having to push yourself on employers, in other words you need to be a candidate not an applicant or what I like to call “be a lighthouse not a search light”! Forbes.com claims there are many jobs available but professionals lack the skills necessary to do the jobs. Maybe this is true but I believe professionals conducting job search or looking to progress in their careers do a bad job of promoting their competencies in a way that will get them found by the right employer. Get prepared now, manage your career and secure your income by attracting opportunities to you since you never know when job loss can hit.

Love to hear from you if you need any help with getting hired or would like to chat, please contact me.

To find out more on how to craft your compelling message as well as how to painlessly attract employers and opportunities, pickup the groundbreaking book The Panic Free Job Search: Unleash the Power of the Web and Social Networking to Get Hired, Career Press, NJ. Paul Hill is a career and job search coach, author and speaker. You can hookup with Paul, live on Vokle every week for free job search help and Q&A or at www.TransitionToHired.com. Follow Paul Hill on twitter @GetHiredFastTrk.

Interviewers are expecting a certain type of descriptive lingo based on the level of seniority of the applicant or candidate. In other words they are expecting you as an applicant or a candidate to describe competencies appropriate to your level of seniority. My observations are bolstered by a research report: Career Advisory Board Job Preparedness Indicator. The report was created by The Career Advisory Board and presented recently by DeVry University and Harris Interactive. Here are some of the findings from this comprehensive survey:

Surprisingly management applicants most out of sync

Job seekers for management positions are describing themselves in terms of what’s important to hiring managers for entry-level-positions.

These management applicants/candidates are describing themselves in terms of entry-level workers: work ethic, dependability, initiative, ability to work well with others, good time management, accountability, and communication skills and are therefore way off base. It is assumed that if you have made it to the management level you already have demonstrated your competence in these areas.

What employers want to hear? For management/executive positions

What interviewers want to hear from you is demonstration of a strategic perspective as well as clearly pointing out how you would fit into the overall picture of the organization. They are expecting you to demonstrate how you can lead and manage the company to where it needs to go.

Employers are seeking a manager with 

• High integrity: Do your actions and past performance demonstrate honesty and truthfulness?
• Global outlook: How the department/organization fits and competes with respect to global competition and emerging markets?
• Business acumen: Meaning the knowledge and understanding of the financial, accounting, marketing, and operational functions of an organization and the ability to make good judgments and quick decisions.
• Accountability: The obligation of the manager to account for his/her activities, accept responsibility for them, and to disclose the results in a transparent manner, including being responsible for entrusted money or property.

It is important therefore to describe yourself appropriately to the level of the position you are seeking.

For mid-level positions

If you are going for a mid-level job: Focus on problem-solving, strong communication, accountability, time management, and high degree of initiative.

For junior or entry-level positions

For entry-level job describe yourself in terms of: Work ethic, dependability, initiative, ability to work well with others, good time management, accountability, and communication skills.

Use the right words and get hired

Are you describing yourself with the right words? Check your resume “lingo” and your interview communication against the expectations as outlined above. Adjust your message to the appropriate level of seniority and see your offers multiply. Check out The Panic Free Job Search: Unleash the Power of the Web and Social Networking to Get Hired for more ‘best practices’ that will help you manage your career, get you promoted, and/or hired.

To find out more on how to craft your compelling message as well as how to painlessly attract employers and opportunities, pickup the groundbreaking book The Panic Free Job Search: Unleash the Power of the Web and Social Networking to Get Hired, Career Press, NJ. Paul Hill is a career and job search coach, author and speaker. You can hookup with Paul, live on Vokle every week for free job search help and Q&A or at www.TransitionToHired.com. Follow Paul Hill on twitter @GetHiredFastTrk  

Hiring Manager vs. HR interview

Understand the difference between a hiring manager and a Human Resources (HR) telephone interview. A screening call from HR will deal more with your personality, salary, your work record, validating the accuracy of your resume, ascertaining why you are considering employment, and why you picked this particular employer. The hiring manager will be keying more on determining if your skills fit the position and if you fit with him and his team. This article deals primarily with acing the hiring manager phone interview.

Critical Questions

The outcome of a telephone interview depends on the answers to two critical questions a hiring manager will be asking himself “Do I like you? and “Do I trust you?” The answer to those critical questions rest upon how you, as the interviewee, answer the following points of inquiry:

1. Can you do the job? Your technical fit, skills/qualifications.
2. Are you the right fit for the job? Your personality and fit with the group or company culture.
3. Will you do the Job? Is the timing and money right. 

Can you do the job?

The key to the technical or qualifications (competencies required) part of the game is usually found in the job description. Make sure to brush up on these key areas before the interview. When formulating and answering practice questions, come up with work examples, actual accomplishments that support your abilities and knowledge and those relating to the key areas on the job description.

When in the midst of a telephone interview keep your example answers close by and spread out on a large surface so you can quickly refer to them if need be during the heat of the interview. Make sure you print out your notes in large font so they are easy to refer to – like cue cards. Make no mistake, a hiring manager will be asking you questions regarding your technical skills and your abilities, so prepare accordingly.

During the interview you are bound to run across a question that deals with an area that you do not have experience in, just make sure to demonstrate your passion for learning. You can always bolster your answer by giving an example of something you

had to learn from scratch in your job or previous job and point out how proficient you became with that new skill. Remember passion, enthusiasm, and excitement sometimes can trump experience.

Are you the right fit?

A large part of any interview, be it in-person or on the telephone, is to evaluate how well you will fit in with the team, company, and culture. You must make every effort to come off as likeable over the phone by building rapport. Building rapport can be challenging for some, when under pressure. One way for you to build rapport quickly is to match the interviewer’s style.

Style Match Up

People like people who are like themselves therefore it is important to match your interviewer’s style. For instance, if the interviewer gets right to it with serious snappy questions then follow suit and match their style, with quick snappy answers. If they are matter of fact then do not try and lighten the call just go with it and be matter of fact as well.

If the hiring manager is upbeat and friendly and starts by chit chatting or discussing personal items then follow suit and open up and share, just keep your guard up and keep it professional. You want to match the interviewer’s energy as closely as possible.

Communication Skills

The interviewer will be seeking to find out if he/she can understand you and can you answer questions with more than just a yes or no. Make sure to avoid rambling on – once you have given your answer…just stop talking. Practicing will keep you from being too talkative. There are many ‘Interview Questions’ resources on the web – here is one you can use to prepare

http://www.advtechnical.com/interview-preparation-guide/

I often hear from hiring managers that yes and no answers lead them to believe the candidate does not know his/her stuff and likewise ‘ramblers’ are just trying to cover all the bases and really don’t know the right answer.

Again the best way to avoid these traps is to prepare properly.

Will you do the job?

If you are interested in the position then say so and take it a step further by proving it. Most interviewees never state during the call that they are interested or want the position but wait until they follow up with an email – don’t wait, state it during the call and state it enthusiastically.

Show you did your homework

Nothing says “I am interested” like the fact that you went through the company’s website and learnt about the culture, the products, and the recent items in the news. During the interview, use every opportunity you get to let the interviewer know that you have done your homework by intertwining what you have learnt about the company into your answers or the questions you ask the interviewer.

Dos and don’ts

Always find a quiet place to talk – avoid taking a call at work or at home when the kids are around. Make sure you make arrangements to be in an area where you will not be disturbed.

A cell phone is to be avoided – you never know when the signal can drop or if the caller can hear you properly – find a landline to receive or make the call. I have seen too many telephone interviews blown because the candidate was in a noisy area or the cell phone line was bad.

If you are caught unaware, ask for the interviewer’s number and call him/her back from a quiet place. 

The keys to success

Interviewing can be stressful but it does not have to be if you take the time to prepare properly. By preparing properly and delivering a stellar phone interview the likely conclusions the hiring manager will come to are “I like you” and “I trust you” sufficiently to invite you to an in-person interview.

To find out more on how to craft your compelling message as well as how to painlessly attract employers and opportunities, pickup the groundbreaking book The Panic Free Job Search: Unleash the Power of the Web and Social Networking to Get Hired, Career Press, NJ. Paul Hill is a career and job search coach, author and speaker. You can hookup with Paul, live on Vokle every week for free job search help and Q&A or at www.TransitionToHired.com. Follow Paul Hill on twitter @GetHiredFastTrk  

Part of your strategy should include twitter. Twitter is a microblogging site, i.e. it allows you to exchange short messages including links with other twitter users. Like most social media platforms, it has its own rules and has its own ‘culture’ which are outlined in more depth in my book, ‘The Panic Free Job Search: Unleash the Power of the Web and Social Networking to Get Hired’. These unique “manners” as well as what tactics work best to engage others are very important to understand. For example, the one thing I like about twitter over say LinkedIn is that twitter users tend to be more helpful and less concerned about protocol, status and who knows who, and typically as a group,  users are willing to extend a hand to help you on your way. In this case your way is to “getting hired”.

First things first, familiarize yourself with twitter, besides my book, two other great books’ teachings, about “twitter best practices”, can be applied to job search, namely:  John Locke’s book How I Sold 1 Million eBooks in 5 Months!, and Dan Zarrella,   Zarrella’s Hierarchy of Contagiousness: The Science, Design, and Engineering of Contagious Ideas and of course you can always use YouTube or what I like to call YouTube University – many videos available to help you get started on twitter. You should know the lingo as well –don’t let this list of abbreviations and acronyms freak you out, it did me at first. Rather than learning how to use  all of these, use the list to decode tweets and as you get more accustomed to twitter you will catch on in time. You have a 140 characters to get your message out, per tweet, (btw-for longer tweets you can always send a tweet in parts) this is why using abbreviations can be a big bonus. I tend to limit my tweets to less than 121 characters thereby allowing for an RT @GetHiredFastTrk if a follower would like to retweet my tweet to his/her followers.

Twitter Job Search Dos and Don’ts

Twitter Background – Develop a professional and creative twitter background that demonstrates your profession or occupation, or brand. You can do it yourself or hire someone to do it for you.

Avatar – Have a professional looking picture of yourself, remember, this is how other professionals are getting to know you. What message do you want to be sending? I personally prefer to see someone’s ‘mug’ over some random image. By the way carry the same picture throughout all your social sites.

Profile – Choose your twitter name wisely- get something professional. If you joined many moons ago and you think you need to change your “handle” to something more professional, then do it. Google changing your twitter name – some articles on how to do it without losing followers – not sure if it works or not – you will have to check it out or open a new account.

Set up a keyword rich ‘bio’ that reflects your occupation or profession, or the job that you are seeking.

Let the world know that you are open to considering new job opportunities, by stating “considering new job opportunities” or “Job-hunting – inquiries and help welcomed”, something that communicates  you are job hunting or being pro-active about job search.

Have a ‘tag line” 3 to 5 words that encapsulate you as a professional- Mine is “Job Search Expert”

Following – Begin following professionals in your space. Do keyword searches with TwitterSearch to find the professionals worth following. The next thing to do is to look at these search results for people’s “lists”. I have found that if you check out these folks list you will usually find a comprehensive list of “pros” worth following and all you have to do to get “following” is follow the people outlined in the comprehensive list.

Build an organic following by providing high value information – Stay away from the drive-through approach -“pay to get followers” stuff being offered. Provide through your tweets; links to information about your profession or occupation and this information should be information of high value to your followers. In my book, I provide the “how –to” which I detail in, what I call iBlitz17, 17 minutes a day to social media “made easy” where I detail, what to write about, when to interact/post/update status and how to automate it all – so you can still have a life. I prefer to have a strong core group of followers who interact with me than just a bunch of “fluff” followers. Once you have been around you can easily spot the 40,000 follower accounts built on 200 tweets.

Thank your followers – Always thank your followers and use the opportunity to send them a DM (direct message), saying thank you for following and let them know you are open to opportunities “Tx for following “I am on the job-hunt if you have suggestions or help my XX XXX” substitute your XX XXX for your LinkedIn profile, or your web site (what I call your iResumePro), your VisualCV or your GetHiredInc. profile. Use a URL shortner like bit.ly (according to Zarrella the “shortner” that gets the most clicks) for the link to your profile/resume.

Employers of interest twitter list – Set up a twitter list with the employers that grab your fancy.

Tweet questions about your field – Engage the twittersphere by asking questions about your profession or occupation.

Hot jobs – Get a smart phone so you can reply as quickly as possible on any ‘job opening intel’ you get from twitter. Follow twitter lists about job searches, follow recruiters and HR people at the companies you are interested in, use keyword searches with TwitterSearch to find them. Use TwitHire, TweetMyJobs, as well as use NearbyTweets if you are seeking a job in a particular location. These types of services are growing all the time so keep-up-to-date by setting up alerts, I prefer using Google alerts.

Tweet about your job search – From time to time, reach out for some help and use the hashtag #resume so you can be found easily.

Follow me – And of course follow me on twitter @GetHiredFastTrk and I will follow you back.

Get on the Fast Track to Hired by putting these twitter first steps into practice.

To find out more on how to craft your compelling message as well as how to painlessly attract employers and opportunities, pickup the groundbreaking book The Panic Free Job Search: Unleash the Power of the Web and Social Networking to Get Hired, Career Press, NJ. Paul Hill is a career and job search coach, author and speaker. You can hookup with Paul, live on Vokle every week for free job search help and Q&A or at www.TransitionToHired.com. Follow Paul Hill on twitter @GetHiredFastTrk