Today you need a continuous record showcasing your accomplishments to increase credibility, be visible online and increase your value to employers.

1. HIDDEN JOB MARKET SECRETS
A New Job Search Paradigm:
A Darn Good Resume Is Not Enough!
By
Debra Feldman, JobWhiz, Executive Talent Agent
Your Executive Ascent...Personally Delivered. Swift, Discreet, Guaranteed.
In olden times maybe a decade ago, job searching meant preparing a resume or filling
out an application and then waiting to be called for an interview. Global economics, the
rise of social media and revolutionary advances in technology have radically changed
the employment marketplace and have put new demands on job seekers. Differrent
initiatives and more actively engaging employers is necessary. When a job search fails to
progress, the solution requires looking beyond mere resume content and use of
distribution channels in order to increase a candidate’s chances for success. Continue
reading to learn about how to remove obstacles which may be blocking a swift,
successful landing.
Most job seekers start their job search process with many of the same ineffective,
inefficient steps. These include updating and sending their resume to their currrent
contacts, uploading their resume to job boards and recruiter sites, applying to online
openings, polishing and re-polishing their elevator pitch just in case, sprucing up their
LinkedIn profile and photograph, deciding whether to Tweet and have a personal
presence on Facebook, and furiously adding more connections to their online social
networks. Notice how these activities all are centered around the candidate and not
employer-orented? A better way is focusing on identifying qualified employers that
might be a good match and then making contacts with decision makers as the first call to
action? Job seekers often spend the beginning of a job search on tasks that are not
effective and that may slow down their progress. Performing job search-related tasks
without essential input about what employers appreciate, need, want, require, expect,
value, etc. dooms the search project to circling around employers but not engaging them
which is essential to reach a mutually rewarding hiring agreement. Connecting the dots
for employers to recognize a candidate’s potential contribution cannot be left to chance.
Job searching, like successful business projects, should be expertly strategized, organized
and implemented. Many job seekers are not knowledgable and lack enough experience to
conduct an efficient and effective search. Precious time is lost, frustration builds and
stress mounts and emotional, physical and monetary costs escalate when a solid
foundation isn’t in place from the beginning. Adopting a different strategy will yield
better results.
• Luck is not a strategy. It’s an employer’s market today. Hiring decision makers
act like there is an endless supply of interested prospective employees and
somewhere among them is the absolutely perfect candidate. They are reluctant to
compromise. Candidates must orient efforts to attract employer’s attention,
meet their needs, and gain their trust.
Debra Feldman
The New Job Search Paradigm- Darn Good Resume Is Not Enough
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2. • Start a job search project by identifying the candidate’s requirements and
then finding employers matching these qualifications. Don’t begin by writing
a resume that’s candidate-centered and sounds like an obituary of past jobs.
Research employers to find a manageable number of target companies that satisfy
the candidate’s requirements. Such specifications may include industry sector,
geographical location, company size, ownership structure, corporate structure,
plus further research into company culture, competitive ranking, reputation,
financial status, etc.
• For each company on the list, outline the employer’s challenges and describe
how the candidate can solve these, address these or manage these, based on
their unique skills, talents, experience, background, interests, connections,
education and training, etc. The intention is to show the employer that this
candidate is the best available resource they will find. Note: if there is anything
that might damage the candidate’s positioning as an expert, determine how to
eliminate this, or worse case scenario, mitigate it’s impact.
• Present the candidate’s credentials to the employer showcasing how they are
the perfect prospective employee. This goes beyond the traditional resume. In
today’s world, reputation often precedes a formal introduction. Candidates should
expect to be “Googled”, looked up on Facebook and LinkedIn, checked out on
Twitter, ZoomInfo and other sites. Ideally, the candidate’s public, published track
record should clearly illustrate their capabilities and suitabilty for the employer.
There’s no privacy, confidentiality or hiding from employers. Online information
is the employer’s reality and the resume prepared by the candidate has to be
consistent with the virtual image—or a convincing explanation made available.
(See comment about positioning in bullet above)
►Start to document strengths, experience, accomplishments, etc. online
immediately and keep this up to date even after starting a new job,
especially during periods of high productivity when the achievements
accumulate and there are lots of chances to show an ability to produce
profits, decrease costs and/or improve process.
►If the online evidence is sparce, develop a creative way to show
enthusiasm, intellect, engagement, interpersonal skills, knowledge, talent,
etc. using succcess stories, a powerpoint presentation, creating a white
paper, etc. Why? People are not their resumes, they are their work In
other words, “ show don’t tell.”
• Introduce the candidate to a hiring decision maker ideally via a mutual contact
able to address concerns and recommend them. The inside contact should be the
person with authority to make an offer to the candidate, not HR. Choose
someone who will not be threatened and will appreciate the candidate’s taking
initiative for the purpose of sharing a meaningful conversation that may produce
Debra Feldman
The New Job Search Paradigm- Darn Good Resume Is Not Enough
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3. potential job leads to a current opening or creating a new role just for being at the
right place at the right time. Remember that this is not a cold call to find a job, but
a polite introduction to start a mutally beneficial relationship which just might
unearth a new opportunity directly or through referral for either party now or in
the future and expand contacts for each of them and their entire network of
connections.
►Maintain contact after making the significant investment to develop
relationships because one’s network is like long-term career insurance
providing ongoing mentoring, future job leads, referrals, expert advice,
etc. Follow through on promises and keep in touch periodically extending
invitations, sharing ideas, exchanging links, making referrals, asking for
advice, offering assistance, etc.
►Look for opportunities to be generous. Not only does it make the giver
feel good to help, but also people remember those who not only talk the
talk but come through with assistance.. Those who get help usually seek to
return the favor which keeps the relationship vibrant, dynamic and
effective.
Candidates have to focus their job search efforts especially to attract employers. In most
instances, this turns the candidate’s usual job search behavior inside out/upside down by
focusing on the employer rather than on the candidate as the center of the system.
It is an employer’s market; they call the shots, set the ground rules and have more power
in this relationship. The closer the match between candidate and employer from the hiring
authority’s perspective, the better the chances that the parties will come to a mutually
successful agreement. Today’s job market reality is that it is not just what you know or
even who you know, but who with hiring authority needs you and knows your potential.
©2010 Debra Feldman
Debra Feldman is the JobWhiz™, a nationally-recognized expert who designs and
personally implements swift, strategic, and customized senior level executive job search
campaigns, by penetrating employers and banishing barriers to attract hiring offers. Her
gift for Networking Purposefully™ which accelerates campaign progress --- executed
with high energy and savvy panache -- connects candidates directly to decision makers,
not HR. Learn more about her groundbreaking techniques that not only reveal
unadvertised current opportunities, but also produce long term career insurance. Contact
Debra now at www.JobWhiz.com to expedite your executive ascent! Follow
@Debra_Feldman on Twitter.
Debra Feldman
The New Job Search Paradigm- Darn Good Resume Is Not Enough
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