Is your job search detrimental to your health?

 Chris Wodke

http://www.summittrainingpublications.com/

Jim Trainer a Partner with Jell Tech Consulting spoke at the March Crossroads network meeting on the subject “ What you don’t know or take for granted in you job search may be detrimental to your health.”

Here is a summary of his remarks. 

You may need to re-think what you are doing in your job search. 

Resume

• The first thing he asked the audience was the resume.  The goal of the resume is to get an interview.
•  If it isn’t generating and interview it is time to review it.
• Get rid of resume objective.
• Use a summary of skills and experience. This will help an employer to know what is unique about your talents and skills.
• Your resume should focus on the skills you bring and the results you have gotten.
• Quantify your success with hard numbers. Employers are bottom line oriented.

Branding
You need to understand employers are concerned about what you can do for them. They have a need or a problem and are looking for someone to solve it. Your resume and interview should tell an employer:

• What you are good at.
• Why someone should hire you.
• They can trust you.
• You will be a good team player.
• You are a problem solver that gets results.
• You take initiative.

Networking

Lots of people are unemployed. There is no shame in being on a job search. Tell everyone you are looking.  Here are some networking ideas to use in your job search:

• Always carry copies of resumes in envelopes. Keep them with you. Tell everyone you are in a job search, hand them your resume and ask them for their advice.   Ask them to take a look and let you know how you can improve your resume.
• Tell the person you will call them in a few days. When you call them:
• Ask for feedback.
• Ask them if they have any job leads for a person with your skills.
• Ask them to keep you in mind and let you know if they hear of anything.

They are now familiar with your skills and may be able to help you in the future. This approach may generate some good leads. Be sure you follow up on them.

• Ask those you network with if there is anything you can do for them, they just might help you in return.

Interviews

This is the toughest part to get to. If you get an interview then you are doing some things right with your resume and networking. To make the interview effective:

• Ask the interviewer about their biggest challenge or problem. Listen closely to determine if your skills are a fit.
• Be ready with your CAR stories. A car story is a Challenge you had, the approach you took to solve it and the result you got.  Past accomplishments are a good indicator of future success.
• Be sure you are closing the interview well. Ask if there is anything the interviewer heard that would prevent the company from taking you to the next step or ask about the next step.

Hopefully you find the information from the presentation helpful. Perhaps you will join us for the next Crossroads Career Network meeting. We meet the second Monday of each month at Hales Corners Lutheran Church. The church is located at

12300 W. Janesville Road

. Meeting start at 6:30.

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