I developed this presentation for a group LHH HR professionals that were going through a job transition. I used tips during my own job transition. And hope that others will find it useful.

1. Welcome to 2010!
Renewing and Energizing Your Job Search!
1.Develop a winning resume
·List your professional experience going back 10 years.
·Provide a summary of your experience and what opportunity you’re seeking.
·Remember your audience so avoid industry and internal specific acronyms.
·Provide description of the company’s industry, size, revenue, and other pertinent in-
formation (international, nationwide, etc.)
·Provide a summary of your roles and responsibilities.
·List specific key accomplishments; provide measurements or percentages if avail-
able.
·Include education, affiliations, volunteer work and memberships.
·Develop multiple versions of your resume to target different types of industries and
positions.
2.Develop and master 2-minute story about your career
·The story should serve as an introduction and highlight your resume.
·Articulate a theme that provides a summary of your depth and the breadth of your
experience.
3.Develop and communicate clear and articulate goals for your job search
·Research the market, companies, and positions that you are targeting.
·Be able to communicate what you are seeking and bridge what you’ve done in pre-
vious positions.
4.Practice your phone and in-person interviewing skills
·Phone Screen:
- Take the call on a LAN line
- Be engaging and providing a clear message of your background (2-minute sto-
ry) and your job search goals.
- Goal is to generate interest for in-person interview.
- Keep job search goals based on job and industry specifics. Avoid talking about
money, location, or level of position.
- Ask for feedback and next steps.
·In-person Interview:
- Research the company capabilities, investor information, financials, goals, in-
dustries and competitors.
- Research the titles, position, and background of your interviewers.
- Research driving route, parking, and traffic pattern and arrive at least 15-minutes
early.

2. - Let the interviewers set the agenda and pace of the interview.
- Come prepared with good questions that show you’ve researched their company,
have an interest in the business, understand their industry and identify ways that
you can add value in meeting the company’s mission and business objectives.
- Be clear, specific and articulate when answering interview questions. It’s OK to
ask the interviewer to repeat questions or to repeat their question back to ensure
mutual understanding. Ask if further details or clarifications are needed. Remem-
ber KISS—Keep it Simple Stupid.
- Ask for feedback. What are their thoughts on your qualifications? Do they have
any concerns about your suitability for the position? This provides great informa-
tion on specific areas that you can highlight or overcome.
- Ask about next steps of the interview process and timing of their hiring decision.
- Send thank you card.
5.Maintain discipline and structure in your job search
·Wake up and get ready as if going into the office
·Develop and work your plan based on how many connections you make, jobs that
you apply to, or networking meetings you set-up.
·Maintain a daily journal to check your progress. This avoids losing track of your ef-
forts and helps maintain motivation because progress is being made daily.
·Develop a spreadsheet for your job applications with company names, positions, lo-
cations and POC.
6.Develop and work your network; job search is technology driven these days. Use technolo-
gy for research but pick-up the phone and get out there to visit people!
·Become very proficient with Linkedin, Twitter, and Facebook
·Be sure to complete your profile so it’s informative and summarizes your resume
and career goals.
·Be a good networker by first providing networking assistance to others. Remember
the Golden Rule of what goes around comes around.
·Networking for not just for job searches. Networking encourages valuable input
from others on the market and your industry.
·Suggest meeting for lunch or coffee at their place of business. This is a great oppor-
tunity to check out other companies.
·Send thank you card.
7.Consider volunteering, community service or part-time/temporary positions.
•These are great networking opportunities to meet new people!
•Give back to the community.
•Show potential employers that you are keeping busy and productive.
•Avoid taking full-time jobs if you have no intention of staying or are waiting for a
better opportunity to come around. Job hopping will come back to haunt you when the market
picks up.

3. 8.Consider going back to school for degrees or certifications
·Adding to your education provides a message that you are investing in your career
and looking to improve yourself.
·This is another great way to build your network and connections.
9.Keep yourself in-front and fresh to your network and recruiters.
·This is an Art more than a Science, the objective is not to be over-bearing but to
keep yourself fresh in their minds.
·Recruiters are “position” or “requisition” driven so unless you apply for every job
then your resume may fall through the cracks.
·Companies are at various levels of automation in the recruiting process.
·Refer candidates to recruiters for positions that are not a match for your qualifica-
tions.
10.Keep a positive attitude and find ways to continuously reinvent yourself!
·Remember that the economy and job market will pick up.
·Focus on improving yourself ; pick-up a new hobby, learn a new skill, reconnect
with people that you haven’t seen in years.
Contact Information:
Trang Gulian
Sr. Consultant
703-287-0087 x1015
tgulian@willmott.com
Willmott & Associates
1660 International Drive, Suite 400
McLean, Virginia 22101
www.willmott.com