At the dawn of 2011, too many of my friends and colleagues are still unemployed or underemployed. And many are stuck in jobs they hate because the job market seems frozen. In the spirit of making next year better, consider Kim Bishop’s new book, Get Down to Business and You’ll Get the Job, as a tool for change.
Full disclosure. Kim is a friend of mine. I respect her experience and expertise. She gave me a free copy of the book.
Kim Bishop has been on both sides of the table and as a result has written an effective handbook for job-seekers at all levels. Jam-packed with tips and suggestions, links to online and offline resources and practical advice to calm your nerves and focus your search, this is the book for anyone who wants to get their next job early in 2011.
Bishop understands the landscape, the hiring mentality and the tools you need to work the system in your favor and she explicitly lays out a fact-based game plan anyone can follow. Lots of these "get-a-job" books are full of self-serving opinions and motivational hype. This one isn't. It's realistic, practical, accessible and do-able.
She has a system, complete with its... Read more
Tagged 'job search' 
Market Yourself in 2011
Top 3 Interviewing Mistakes
#1: Get Rid of the "We"-- Focus on the "Me"
I know, I know. You don't want to come off as being full of yourself. But, I can't tell you how many times I found myself, as a recruiter, interrupting a candidate and asking her to reconsider my question focusing on what she PERSONALLY did in regards to my query. In other words, can you please answer the question by starting with the word "I" vs. "We?"
When you are interviewing, try and highlight your accomplishments while stressing how effectively you worked with a team of fellow employees when answering questions. This way you can discuss what YOU have accomplished without sounding haughty or grandiose. Here’s an example of how to answer a question regarding specific job responsibilities: “I, along with my co-workers, wrote the collateral for all our programs and presented new concepts to the sales team.” Or, if you are asked about your ability to make rain, you could say something like: "I worked on new business initiatives on a regular basis and, along with the Partners of my firm, brought in x-number of accounts." In this way, you are clearly articulating your responsibilities and accomplishments while being careful not... Read more
Cover Letters for Jobs NOT Advertised
The job boards are slow as the employment market continues to tighten. Does that mean you should sit back and wait for a job of your liking to magically appear on iMedia, The Ladders or any of your other preferred job sites? Me thinks not! Create a wish list of companies you want to work for and take the initiative to contact these guys directly. Visit their Web sites, call the main number and ask for the name of an HR Director and the head of the department you want to work in (e.g., if you are a marketer, get the name of the Marketing Director). Your ultimate goal is to get at least one face-to-face informational interview. You want to introduce yourself to the right people, meet them, and make such a great impression that they will call you when a suitable position opens up.
Your cover letter has to be highly targeted. Illustrate that you are smart about the company's business. If, for example, you want to work on the account side in a particular advertising agency, find out what accounts the agency is working on. Check out their advertising, see if they have been involved in any philanthropic... Read more
Top 5 Tips for Writing Killer Cover Letters
A cover letter might seem old-fashioned, but as I've said before, in some ways old-fashioned is good. As a recruiter, I often received hundreds of resumes in my e-mail box in response to an online posting. I was more responsive to those who took the time to write a thoughtful cover letter than to those who sent a one-line filler saying something inane like "my resume is attached for your review." (Um, I think I can figure that part out for myself.)
Your cover letter is a way for you to express interest in a position, outline key reasons why you are the best person for that job, and show that you can organize your thoughts in a clear, concise, thought-provoking, GRAMMATICALLY CORRECT manner. Just like your resume, your cover letter should draw the reader in and make him want to find out more about you.
Tip #1 — Use Templates, Not Form Letters
Avoid using a form letter for your covers. I'm not insinuating that you have to start from scratch each time you apply for a job. One of the things you can do is create a variety of cover letter templates that you can pull information from. You need more than one if you are... Read more
The Evolution of Recruiting and How One Firm is Handling It
Recently I sat down with the three founders of Jobdot — a boutique digital-media recruiting firm based in New York. Jeff Kuntz, Scott Berkson and Adam Glantz are serial entrepreneurs in one form or another. Between the three, they have launched and built multiple digital businesses, including a top-five ranked ad network. I wanted to find out why three guys blazing a trail in emerging media decided to take a different direction and build something a hell of a lot more traditional. What I discovered is that they are young, hungry and they really do seem to know digital media like the backs of their hands. They can talk the talk and walk the walk with their clients — and candidates. Could this be the thing that makes them shine? I know I'll be keeping an eye on them — and their killer logo.
Q. You launched Jobdot in late 2007 and, soon after, the market tanked. Tell me honestly, are you guys kicking yourselves?
Not at all. We are trying to build a brand here, vs. just a recruiting firm. Sure, our core competency is recruiting but we are planning more. When Adam and I were building adNet for MediaWhiz from... Read more
