As both co-organizer of the job fair and administrator of WorkNEPA, the regional job board mentioned in the document – and author of the guide itself, it’s my pleasure to share it with job seekers and career development professionals.  ~Karla

Job Fair Thank You Doc

No one had leads.

I searched within a 50 mile radius and came up with very little posted opportunity in his field. I logged into my contact database and made a few calls. No one wanted to seriously discuss underemployment opportunities with someone who had a VP title for the past decade.

Ouch.

We talked about the possibility of relocation and to where he might be willing. It didn’t seem very appealing to him. Then we talked about transferable skills and what they might be molded into and marketed as. There was a very solid and well established focused career here and under the circumstances it wouldn’t be easy to convince someone he wanted to try something different – they would see he was camouflaging. We talked about doing independent consulting.

There didn’t seem to be much enthusiasm for that.

I checked out his LinkedIn profile and offered some suggestions for an updated summary. I gave him some tips about participating in Q&A and using it to gain positive attention and cast a wider net, about using it to search jobs because it will show who he has connections to at those companies that have openings he might be interested in.  I talked about applying through the front door and networking through the back door.

It would be a great use of the newly found time he has to do some industry research by launching a poll and then writing about the findings. Good reason to have a blog. A Posterus is simple to set up, has great SEO optimization and the RSS feed could be imported to his LinkedIn profile.

It mentioned might be helpful to read company blogs based in the region he wishes to work in, check out company announcements in the local media for promotions and new hires to get a handle on who vacated a position, who was hired into a new one and where a vacancy might be left… You know, I always have to throw in some Special Agent tactics…

He thanked me for my time, reminded me I had a copy of his résumé in front of me and that I was free to send it out. I let him know this might take some time but that being methodical and consistent in his approach would eventually pay off.

He walked away with notes, seemingly a bit more on target with a strategy. Yet, I didn’t exactly sense urgency – perhaps because this life event was so new and he is still stunned. I didn’t sense much energy – perhaps because what happened is not generally viewed with a glass half full attitude by middle-aged executives who lose their job, face a job market in an industry that is excruciatingly tight and really weren’t looking for the unwanted excitement of change to begin with.

I’m very confident it will turn around for him, eventually – with a lot of hard work and strategy.

P.S. In the meantime, I look forward to a great white paper based on his linkedin research in the messy banking industry.

Such individuals are known to hang around in graveyards, exhibiting attitudes of low affect.

Bare with me on the morbid sounding comparison but zombies sound a lot like some job seekers I have come across, practically paralyzed in their desk chair pumping out hire me messages into cyberspace.. I assert that these job seeker zombies are in a suspended state of animation, due to false hope that posting the link to their online resume will get them a job, introduced through the wound caused by protracted periods of unemployment. Their bokors are misguided social media advocates – who may or may not be highly skilled and practiced employment professionals – who con them into this social media servitude under the guise of being helpful and the philosophy that it feels better to do something than nothing.

Mamma mia… let’s grow up kids… these are real lives we’re playing doctor with here.

Social media use as a compliment to a well founded strategic job search work plan is icing on the cake, a bonus, and in 2010 a still highly improbable way to get an interview. It is still more probable for a job seeker to find an opportunity than to be found.

I’m not good enough to tell you when that dynamic will turn around and reverse itself. But… here’s my Vulcan guess from last year.

How does a job seeker zombie shake a bokor? An octopomine like cure can be achieved by following these prescribed virtual steps no more than 20 hours a week:

• Use the Internet, to include social media, to search for jobs and do research on companies you are targeting –> network with current & past employees.
• Do not buy into “build it and they will come” –> if you want to be found on the Internet be social and don’t put faith in one medium.
  • Participate in LinkedIn groups and answers.
  • Post good content on Facebook company Fan Pages.
  • Comment on Recruiter and company blogs.
  • Tag your tweets strategically with keywords you’ll be hunted for.
  • Have your own blog as a portal for your job search with links to your online portfolios – search engine optimized.
• Send your résumé as an attachment in a nice email to your entire contact list with an update of your situation and ask friends and family to send it to anyone they think could be a good lead. Do not be negative and don’t whine.
• Be sure your cover letter and résumé are as good as you think they are – you’re biased, get feedback before you send out something that isn’t in your favor or won’t get into the A pile.
• Send thank you notes to contacts and stay in touch but don’t act needy – it’s a turn off.

What about the other 20 hours of the work week? Take it off line. Back away from the computer using every ounce of mental strength you still possess during this difficult time of unemployment. Reduce your dependence on bokors and you’ll find you start to come back to life:

• Volunteer with a nonprofit to keep your skills sharp and avoid having a gap on your résumé.
• Stay high profile, as a volunteer of a nonprofit you can attend networking events at the Chamber of Commerce it is a member of.
• If you have an entrepreneurial bent, it’s a great time to launch as a consultant.
• Take a certificate program – there may be workforce investment act funding to pay for it, check your state one stop shop.
• Get those projects around the house done, when you go back to work you’re not likely to have time off right away.
• Exercise, do crafts, write, swap girlfriend manicures, whatever is stress relieving for you. Unemployment and debt are both in the top 10 of stressful life events.

You can shake the bokors who try to manipulate you into thinking their social media voodoo will get you a job.

Traditionally, the job fair has been of the standard variety with employer booths and newspaper advertising. My contributions to the event in my first year as a planning partner were the upgraded website & blog, social media and seminar.

There was nothing wrong with the job fair as it had always been for the past 19 years except that in my opinion it lacked modernity of the times, the use of technology and an educational component. Actually, it wasn’t just my opinion. As a vendor in past years I often heard the word on the street that every year it was

The same old thing

I vowed not to allow that happen another year since now I was empowered to have influence and make change. Here are some reflections on what went down and what I learned.

Contrary to what you might think, the most popular seminar session was not using social media for job search (it was 3rd place). The most attended was how to get government employment. It requires no networking at all… The attraction is all too understandable why all the seats were taken and the overflow of people stood in the back of the seminar area.

The second most popular session was how to do well in an interview. There were a lot of questions on what to say, how to say it, how to cope with nerves, how to know if it went well.. Attendees appreciated hearing the “real deal” because the process is confusing to a candidate who doesn’t understand it. We could do a much better job on our websites and in our candidate selection process of letting job seekers know expectations, time lines, process..

Social media for job seekers was interesting, a lot of questions on Myspace (I attribute this to a cosmic vortex) and what to do once one creates an account. In other words, what does one do to “social network”? This is making me think a lot. There were a lot curious people there that either haven’t created accounts because they don’t know what to do, or started accounts and didn’t do anything with them – because they didn’t know what to do…  It seemed the crowd was comfortable visiting websites and job boards but they didn’t “get” the networking angle. So, we covered the basic principles, and because an hour is not nearly enough time to really delve into technique – I promised to hold workshops.

These are people who have been out of work a really long time – some go to the library for internet because it isn’t within their monthly budget. Perhaps a sponsor will offer to help. If not, I’ll do a series for free because I can’t fathom charging the unemployed for this.

The résumé tips session was fraught with questions on what and what not to include, what style to use, how many pages it should be, if references are required, the normal stuff… What was clearly obvious to me was that the average job seeker doesn’t understand the document is a marketing piece for Me Inc. I referred them to the free résumé writing classes offered at the local branch of the State one stop shop. It’s not the gourmet service offered by some of my certified résumé writing friends.. but none of these individuals was in the situation to be able to afford paid services.

What do you people want from me??? That was the question answered in the session on employer expectations. You would think this is work 101 stuff – but not.. Some people think they should be able to bring excuses to work and not be charged PTO, others don’t agree sick dependents should affect their attendance or be cause for separation when it does. How to “move up in the company” is interesting to many and “I shouldn’t have to so someone else’s job” is common. We need to do a better job with employer branding and marketing to educate prospective employees on what our expectations really are so that they are empowered to be decision makers in the process too on whether employment with XYZ would be a good “fit”.

How to work with a recruiter had an executive gathering of note takers. So many people think the title recruiter has one definition and clearing up that misnomer is important. When and how to follow up, what to do with the feedback, everyone was curious and confused about these things. I’m thinking we don’t put out enough information on what a recruiter does… like it’s some secret order or something. OK, maybe it is =)

Imagine if everyone understood the importance of psychology in the job search and workplace. The session on emotional intelligence was incredibly interesting, if not too short and poorly attended. The presenter understood why. People in general aren’t really in touch with their emotions, don’t understand how they sabotage quality of life, and many push them away and are horrible at managing them. When it came time for interactive exercises it was men in the session that volunteered. There were some women sitting there with their eyes glazed over. <— Look, this is just my observation. I’m trying not to be judgmental.

I thought adding a Job Seeker Strategy seminar to the job fair was a good idea. Now I think this seminar needs to go on a road tour to high schools and colleges, one stop shops and job fairs in every community and town across the country.

If you work in HR or recruiting, please implement it in your community. Or if you would like to sponsor my roadshow, let me know. I could really dig a national tour…

Once a year there is another type of event at the Arena that is totally different. It’s an interactive event that can literally change your life. It’s the NEPA Job Fair. Similar events are held in cities across the country every year. So, if you’re lucky enough to have landed here through finding this blog in a Facebook or Twitter post or Google search it’s for you too.

Now of course, you can walk in the Arena doors and on to the floor and weave in and out of the maze of employer booths like a spectator – that’s what most people do. Then you’ll go home and talk about how it was, “OK but nothing special, there are no opportunities around here.”

That’s the big mistake most people make, they treat a job fair as a spectator sport. Find out how to work the job fair over at the NEPA Job Fair blog…

No response after submitting a resume or application:

• You are applying to jobs you’re not qualified for.
• Your resume or application has grammar errors that turned the recruiter off.
• You did not complete the application appropriately or shoved a resume in it and wrote “see resume” on it.
• Your resume was not targeted to the position you are applying for (you sent the same resume to apply for different types of jobs).
• It looks like a “to do” list and there’s no story –> You look like a robot.
• You have a shoddy job history with a couple of months here and there and employers are not willing to take a risk to train you and have you leave.

If you get calls and then do not get invited to interviews it could be because:

• You did not sound interested during the phone screen, were monotone and totally lacked enthusiasm.
• You had poor speaking skills or lack of correct grammar.
• You didn’t have much to say and the dead air was agonizing and the recruiter couldn’t bear the though of having to do it all over again in person.
• You said “I don’t know” a lot.
• You were pompous and or cocky or had some other poor attitude on the phone.
• You were negative about your past employers or about anything else.
• The Recruiter wanted to talk about your experience and skills and you wanted to talk about the money.
• It was 11:00am and your mom answered the phone and had to call you out of bed to take the call (I am not kidding).

You landed an interview but didn’t get a job offer or invitation to a second interview:

• You were late or rushing in the door just on time.
• You were dressed inappropriately and did not convey a professional image (either too casual, sloppy, wrinkled, thought you were going to a nightclub, etc).
• You lacked grooming and/or hygiene.
• You couldn’t maintain eye contact.
• You had no questions that showed true interest.
• You acted disinterested or distracted.
• You were not polite and/or courteous or lacked in some other social skill.
• You had weak answers (or none at all).
• You rambled on painfully when asked a question.
• You couldn’t stick to the topic of the question, lacked focus and when asked about “A” you ended up talking about “Z”.
• You acted inappropriately or weird.
• You performed poorly on the assessment testing.
• You conned the person who did the phone interview about your skills but couldn’t do it in person.
• You lied on your application or resume and the background check picked it up.

Now, go through the reasons I listed again and see if you can find an area in which you can improve upon. Self assessment isn’t easy but it is critical to your success.

Feel free to chime in and list other things that can be job search stoppers…

When facing a stack of job applications, it can be tempting to craft one résumé and cover letter and send them to out to multiple recruiters/hiring managers to save time. They won’t know the difference, right? Wrong.

Recruiters and hiring managers can spot a letter sent to multiple recipients from a mile away. Generalized sentences or lack of a personalized greeting are dead giveaways that can instantly turn a recruiter/hiring manager away from your application, no matter how qualified you are for the job. Why should a s/he take interest in you when you haven’t even taken the time to show true interest in their company?

If you don’t personalize each and every résumé and cover letter you submit, you run the risk of seeming:

• Disrespectful: Mass messaging shows a lack of consideration for the recipient. Not showing care and attention now can suggest that you might be that way on the job, as well.
• Unknowledgeable: By not even taking the time to research the company you are applying for, it appears you may not be aware of everything your desired position may demand of you.
• Lazy: This is probably one of the worst traits to you can exhibit as a potential new hire. Customizing your résumé and cover letter may be time consuming, but doing so shows you have a true dedication to the job.
• Unoriginal: Recruiters and hiring managers receive countless résumés and cover letters each day. If you don’t use your application tools to present how unique you are for each position you apply for, you are missing a huge opportunity to show your worth.

Remember, cover letters and résumés are your first impression with a recruiter/hiring manager. They can make-or-break your chances of advancing in the hiring process. Getting the job you want takes time, diligence and definitely doesn’t start with the phrase, “To Whom it May Concern.”

Heather R. Huhman is a career expert and founder & president of Come Recommended, an exclusive online community connecting the best internship and entry-level job candidates with the best employers. She is also the national entry-level careers columnist for Examiner.com and blogs about career advice at HeatherHuhman.com.

She lost her job 2 months earlier and since then had spent countless hours scouring job boards, employment websites and submitting resumes. Mine was the first call she had received. She was amazed the call had come within minutes of clicking the submit button.

I’m blogging this to let you know to not relinquish your job search because it is a certain season. Employers have year round needs and opportunity. We may take a little time to decorate, eat cookies and take a few days off but we still need to conduct business and meet our goals to accomplish our mission.

If you are unemployed you can’t afford to “take a vacation” from your job search. You must be relentless. Rise each morning as if you are going to work and then go to work on finding opportunity that matches your skills and employment goals.

Treat your job search as a full-time job!

When you find yourself becoming discouraged, remember that when you are depressed and down on yourself it shows and it could impact your interview. Think of your job search for what it is… you are marketing your skills and yourself as a product for prospective employers to lease. That’s right, an employer leases your time and talent! Make yourself as marketable as possible, showcasing your talents. An employer must feel that if they do not hire you they will be losing out.

If you fear rejection think about it this way.. In sales it can take 10 “no’s” to get a “yes”. You might get the yes the first or tenth time you ask for the sale, you can’t predict. Each “no” you get brings you closer to the “yes”! To be effective, you need to be steadfast and approach each potential customer with the same confidence and presentation – because that could be your sale. If you waiver, become doubtful, skip a step or lack thoroughness you could jeopardize the sale.

A job search is no different!

The key to a successful job search is to remain steadfast and remain consistent in your approach.

♦Treat each opportunity as if it will be a a “yes” and know that each “no” will only bring you closer to your new employment.

♦Present yourself to each employment opportunity as if it were the only opportunity. It will keep you sharp and make you work hard to win it.

♦Prepare for each opportunity by researching each company you apply to then target your resume for that particular job. It’s time consuming but it will stand out from the mass template submissions employers receive. Invest the same time and energy in your resume as you would if you were on the job and being paid to create an important presentation or report.

♦If you have anything less than a professional sounding email address create a new account such as firstname.lastname@host.com. Whimsical, cutesy, goth, TMI, sexual in nature, etc., type email addresses are simply inappropriate. After all, at least in my inbox the first thing I see, my first impression of a candidate, is their email address.

The key is to maintain a consistent professional image from A to Z

♦Keep a spreadsheet for (or jot in a notebook) the positions you have applied to. Include the company, contact, phone number, email address and date submitted.

♦Follow up with a call or email a few days later to ask if you are being considered a candidate. If the answer is no, ask for feedback on why. Don’t be afraid to ask – It will help you understand employer and industry needs and help you refine and target your search to match your skills. Thank the Recruiter for taking the time to provide you with valuable feedback and ask to be considered in the future for positions that match your qualifications. If a Recruiter has been particularly helpful it can’t hurt to follow up with a brief thank you email or note.

♦Start answering your phone in a professional way. “Hello, this is Sam” is a good greeting. Answering with “Yeah, who is this?” is less than impressive to a potential employer.

♦When a potential employer calls understand that is the first step in the interview process. That call is a phone screen. Put a mental “suit” on and conduct yourself professionally as if you were in a face-to-face interview.

♦If you are invited to interview in person ensure you arrive 10 minutes early. If you are not familiar with the location do a dry run. The day of the interview is not the day to get lost. Use that 10 minutes to psych yourself up for the interview and envision the job offer.

♦Dress, speak and act like the position you aspire to. One step up from the position you are interviewing for is a good guideline. Put on your best clothing and grammar (without gum in your mouth, of course), hold your head high and pretend you are the leading role in a movie. Be self-conscious of your posture and body language. Try really hard to have good eye contact.

♦Listen carefully to the interviewer’s instructions and questions. Focus and answer appropriately. Don’t deviate from the questions and do not offer up personal information. Remember it is a job interview and keep your comments to your skills, abilities and talents in regard to the position you are interviewing for. Arrive prepared to discuss examples of your performance, teamwork and people skills at prior places of employment.

♦Let the interviewer know you have done your research. Ask questions to show you are interested and engaged. If you don’t know what to ask some possibilities are about the number of employees and/or locations, what is a typical day like for a person in the position, examples of employee recognition, etc.

♦Thank the interviewer and offer a handshake. If you are still interested in the company at the end of the interview tell the interviewer. Something like, “I am very interested in this position, more so now after the interview and meeting you”. Ask for a business card and send a follow-up thank you email as soon as possible.

I look forward to your feedback on this blog post. Let me know if it is helpful to you. I would love to know what topics relating to employment you would like me to blog about and be sure to send me your success stories.

I want to hear your story!

That was my disclaimer, how I started the bare all session for 7 job club members who were facing the end of unemployment compensation.

They had all sent countless resumes, received calls and attended interviews. They were turned down every time during more than a year of searching. After longevity ranging from 7 – 30 years, and one odd duck that had never held a job more than 2 years, they were hurt and confused why no one “wanted” them. They had been loyal and hard working and considered themselves “lifers” at their jobs. They felt put out on the street even though they all acknowledged that it wasn’t personal.

“I go in, they look at me, see I’m in my 50′s and I can see it in their faces… they’re thinking, what are we going to get out of her, she’s old”.

“What happened to paper applications?”

I asked each of them what they considered to be their profession or career and how long they had held their longest job for. I found that they felt it necessary to manufacture resumes that look like lengthy to do lists rather than career marketing pieces with examples of strengths and accomplishments because they were proud of every single thing they did well.

“How do I know if they got my Internet application, there’s no name of anyone to call?”

“The job was taken down off the site a week ago and I still haven’t heard anything. How long should I wait to call?” Call about what,” I asked. “To see if I am being considered”, the professionally dressed 50 something asked. She wanted to know before she went on vacation so she could stop thinking about it.

“Here, let me help you”, I said.  I let her know that if the job was taken down it meant the search was over and a decision had likely been made or at the very least final candidates selected. She didn’t get it because she continued on. “What if I am one of them and I’m not home to get the call because I’m on vacation?” I tried to be gentle as I explained it was over… I asked if she needed to hear the rejection.. She said yes. I saved her the call and suggested she enjoy her vacation and get excited about new opportunities that might be available upon her return.

The patriotically dressed woman who was concerned about her age had difficulty coming up with her most important career accomplishment. After all, she was just an Admin Clerk who maintained hospital departmental records and administered the database over the past 30 years. “I don’t know you”, I said, “but let me guess what your strengths and accomplishments were and you tell me how accurate I am”.

• You have superior time management skills
• Your can learn on the fly and implement new processes and technology rapidly
• You are good at training and working well with others
• Attention to detail and accuracy are finely honed skills you possess
• Your attendance record is excellent and your personnel file lacks disciplinary action

And I went on… And her face lit up. Her demeanor changed as she agreed with what I was saying. “Yes, that’s me”, she said. I asked how many records the department maintained and the policies for record retention. I talked about converting the to do list into an achievement oriented resume that captured her skill as a repository specialist with great capacity for knowledge management.

She asked me to slow down so she could take notes. She was getting it…

There are people who need your help my friends. They are good people but they do not understand what we look for. It’s not their job to understand and we really shouldn’t expect them too. We’re out there looking for expertly crafted resumes and polished presenters. Fortunate individuals do not spend a significant amount of time between 18 – 65 searching for work. Why should they be expected to be experts at job search, resume writing and interviewing?

The light bulb went off for me the first time I was invited to speak at the local job club. I felt the questions were from far left field. Each time I go back I hear the same or very similar questions. So if it’s a bunch of people that do not know each other, at different times and places with the same questions… is it them or us?

It’s us. We’re expected to do more with less, we look for the perfect candidate on paper. It’s easier to put a resume in a no pile than the maybe pile and pick up the phone to help make that determination. We pop out the job postings electronically and sit back for ATS alerts that there are incoming. We don’t think about the effort and time put into each web application filled out, each resume and cover letter crafted.

We look to disqualify candidates, not qualify them.

I challenge you to pick up the phone. Call a local job club, state employment agencies (one stop job shops) all have them. Volunteer to speak. You’ll learn from them as much as they learn from you.

There are many flaws in the way current internship programs work.

There are several national internship websites that act as information portals and “job boards”. Many employers are not familiar with these websites and when career services offices tell them they need to create employer accounts and jump through hoops they quickly get frustrated and don’t follow through.  Because these websites are national, companies don’t necessarily attract local students. At the same time, most students manage classes and internships during the same semester so they need to stay local. It’s important to manage internship programs locally to allow for supervision of and assistance with the intern and employer experience. Introducing students to opportunities with local employers also helps aid in the retention of regional talent and prevention of “brain drain”.

Students and employers scramble to find each other. Employers willing to provide an opportunity to a student shouldn’t have to work hard to find one or have to reach out to multiple college career services offices to advertise. Student’s should understand employer expectations and how to conduct an internship or job search.

Another challenge is the concept many employers have of what an internship is. While there are companies that look to recruit entry level college grads and recognize that “try before you buy” is an excellent way to do it while assisting in the student’s education, many times what companies are looking for is cheap labor. Errand boys, envelope stuffers and filing clerks do not require college educations and internships shouldn’t be framed around these functions.

The goal is to enlist companies with a mission of community partnership and good corporate citizenship as extensions of higher education. That means that through this program they’ll pledge to do their part and take on a certain number of interns per year under specially crafted intern work plans based on job descriptions and goals that will be approved and provide meaningful experiential learning for students.

Students won’t just walk into an internship either. They’ll apply, interview and go through a selection process just like if it were a regular position they were going after.To help them prepare, they’ll attend program administered career preparation workshops to assist them with resumes and interview skills. They’ll learn the difference between non-exempt and exempt employees, go through mock orientation and non-harassment training and review and discuss example employee policies and handbooks.

Employers will provide an orientation, an intern mentor and regular coaching and feedback that is documented. Mid and end of semester formal performance evaluations will be conducted and delivered.

Students need to have tools and experience to set them up for career success. The program will provide a one semester real world career experience and the tools to be successful. Employers will have a more productive and functioning junior careerist on board, the opportunity to experience a potential addition to their team and a huge hand in the development of community talent in exchange for their commitment to act as “career labs”.

The logistics of the program require centralization to a regional common career services center shared by all area institutions of higher education and employers. This means students from all participating colleges will seek their internships from one source. They won’t have to be concerned that not all companies willing to provide internship opportunities haven’t reached out to recruit at their particular school. Conversely, employers will no longer have to reach out to many career services offices to announce internship opportunities. They’ll also have one contact, one source, to manage their talent search. College career services offices will serve as on campus liaisons for the program and have more time to focus on working with students to identify their career goals and provide resume preparation and interview skills assistance.

As a nonprofit organization at the helm, we’ll be happy to share our model with other like minded organizations everywhere who want to improve the ways talent meets opportunity. I’m asking you to reflect and comment here on the positive and negative aspects of your college internship and also about internships at the company you work for.  If you have great ideas about what would work better or what not to do I want to hear them. Your comments will help to create the greatest internship program on earth!