Posted on 02/21/2010 9:24:13 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
In the State of the Union address, President Obama declared our national economic agenda "begins with jobs." So does mine. I'm dedicating myself to a 30-day, nationwide tour to launch my newest book, "Use Your Head to Get Your Foot in the Door: Job Search Secrets No One Else Will Tell You."
"Use Your Head" is loaded with silver bullets. I even enlisted the help of readers of this column. They delivered great tips ranging from networking your way to work to tapping multi-skills for a totally new career.
People have asked me for the most bankable advice I have to offer. A tough call, but here are the 10 tips with the greatest traction (I road-tested the advice in this book with hundreds of job seekers):
1) Getting a job is a job. You have to get a routine and stick to it. And it's a 16-hour-a-day proposition. Get back in shape. Read. Network. Volunteer.
2) Rehearse job interviews in the privacy of your own home using your video recorder. Invite members of your personal "kitchen cabinet" to pose tough questions and to critique your performance.
3) Never lie on your resume, but always remember a resume's purpose is to get you an interview. Use industry-accepted terms to describe what you do.
4) After every interview, use the Mackay 22 to debrief yourself on what you learned. Make notes, including how your resume played and how you could fine-tune it. Use the Mackay 44 to prepare for your interview. Both forms are available on my Web site, www.harveymackay.com.
5) On resumes and in interviews, point to specifics in your achievements. If you're a manager, showcase the people you've developed in your career and where they are today.
6) Learn how to use the Invisible Web to know more than you ever thought you could (or should) about your interviewer and the company you are interviewing with.
7) The Internet is forever ... and it's everywhere. Countless people have torpedoed their chances by uploading career-suicide videos and party antics onto social-networking sites like Facebook. Used properly, social-networking vehicles like LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter can help you enhance your network. And networking is how two-thirds of all jobs are found.
8) Respect your references. Recruiters check out these resources more thoroughly than ever before. Make sure your praise singers know in advance that you're listing them and how appreciative you are of their help. Firms will also contact people who aren't your fans.
9) The early bird may get the worm, but late birds get the job. You never want to be a warm-up act. Like the Academy Awards, the strongest contenders are those appearing at year-end.
10) Never negotiate your starting salary based on what you need. Base your argument on the marketplace and what you have to offer. Always have hard research handy to prove you know your numbers.
But, if all else fails, offer to work for free for a trial period until you prove yourself.
People are learning that today's outing on the job market is no one-time stand. It's just another step in a lifetime job search. Are you committed to yours?
Mackay's Moral: Getting a job is a job. But, land a job you love, and you'll never work another day in your life.
Ping
Thanks for the article!
Are You Looking For A Job?
(Thread updated on a regular basis.)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2441076/posts
I just sent a PM.
They are called "interns."
The advice listed was not for interns, unless I read it wrong.
Not specifically but volunteering to be an intern is the formalized way to get unpaid experience and exposure, the proverbial "foot in the door."
That was my point (however obscure I made it.)
In college I was an intern at 2 different places. NOthing came of it....in fact it was a horrible expeience both times where I was used for menial tasks.
Would never recommend it to anyone.
Happens all the time, it’s called internship or apprenticeship: In this economy, it’s not just for kids anymore. Look through the resumes at any Craigslist location and you’ll see people offering a “free trial” of their services. It’s not the first tactic I’d recommend, but I do know of some that’ve got a good job that way.
I want the job writing semi-useful advice columns. Whatta gig!
Great info and advice.
I know the Parachute book which like the Bible has been a bestseller for the past 30- some years. But I’ve never met anyone who’s gotten a job using its methodology o f asking form informational interviews.
From my experience, the “free trial” is a gimmick and nothing more. I never met a single person who got a job that way, nor heard of anyone doing so, and I have talked to alot of people.
LOL! What I was thinking.
People can offer all sorts of advice which may or may not work. Look at J Cramer, who failed miserably on WS yet people buy his books to gain his advice.
That's reserved for 34th Degree Stonecutters. BTW, are you a turtle?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.