As a former recruiter with Disney and America Online, I know the chances are slim to none that a resume, even a finely-crafted one, will get past the bots of an applicant tracking system.  That’s why our team will use the Preptel Resumeter®, a cutting-edge technology proven to increase your chances of getting an interview by providing you with a custom tailored error-free, keyword-rich resume. We use exclusive software, adapted from the same technology hiring company’s use to ensure your resume is the best fit, and is customized for the job you want.

At most companies, computers, not humans, will read a candidate’s resume first. Statistically, 75% of resumes are discarded for using the wrong keywords, and more than 20% of resumes don’t make it due to formatting issues.  While most job seekers spend 80% (or more) of job search effort applying to posted jobs (if this is you, there’s a better way…), only 2-5% will actually ever get an interview.  When you submit a resume to a corporate website, you are not only up against the people who applied for that specific job; you are up against anyone in the resume database who has good keyword relevance. Thus, finding a top spot among the mass of resumes requires not only luck, but detailed understanding of keyword logic.

If you don’t hear back from a company, chances are your resume (along with 60% or more of the resumes in the database) isn’t making it past the ATS software test. It could be rejected for name or character convention violations, or insufficient keyword matching. But, now, a solution exists. As of today, every resume purchased through Aspire! Empower! Career Strategy Group will first get a trial run through the ATS, followed by keyword fixes that will raise the resume to the top of the pile, and give it a better chance of circumventing the resume black hole!

• Mashable is an Internet news blog, started by Pete Cashmore in July 2005, that focuses on social media news (www.mashable.com)
• Executive Career Brand is a blog penned by my friend, and colleague, Meg Guiseppi. She’s a terrific writer and her advice on executive branding is pretty much second to none. (www.executivecareerbrand.com)
• JibberJobber is a tool for job seekers, job hunters, recruiters and headhunters to organize the job hunt and manage a professional network. (www.jibberjobber.com)
• Job-Hunt.org is a FREE award-winning employment portal, one of the Web’s oldest and most trusted sources of job search resources and advice. (www.job-hunt.org)
• Indeed is the #1 job site worldwide, with over 50 million unique visitors and 1 billion job searches per month that aggregates listings from the other top job boards. (www.indeed.com)
• Resunate.com is an advanced resume builder, that allows job seekers to create job- specific resumes in under 30 seconds.

Keep checking back in; I’ll be updating this list soon!

Laura

So, how can students use spring break to inch closer to future employment?

Vacation to a Target Geographic Region. Instead of taking a 3-day cruise, take a road trip to discover if a city is a “fit” with your values, personality and interests. An effective job search includes a narrow geographic target, so filing a city in the “no” column is equally important as putting it in the “yes” one.

Connect With Employers. Prior to arrival at the destination, send a letter of interest, or a resume, and ask to set up a visit (also called an informational interview) with the organizations of choice. This can be done locally too, and may make finding someone on the inside to facilitate these discussions a bit easier. Ask for advice about a job function, field or target industry. Some of the best relationships are born out of these preliminary discussions, when there is no open position to discuss.

Craft an All-Purpose Elevator Pitch. On Spring Break, especially, there are barbeques, beach trips and parties galore. Take the opportunity, in advance, to produce a great 30-second elevator pitch. According to Laura M. Labovich, “Draft a 15-word, few sentence message about the value you bring to an employer. Write it on paper, and polish it up with plenty of practice. You never know when someone will ask, ‘What are your plans after graduation?’”

Sure, it’s important to unplug during the 10 days away, but putting just a little effort into job search activities during Spring break will also help to relieve the pressure that will build up when campus life resumes.

To get help finding a job post-graduation, contact Aspire! Empower! Career Strategy Group.

1. I will create a strategy for my job search this year (and stop spinning my wheels). This strategy will include the following four items: a job target (making it easy for others to know exactly what job I want), a specific geographic region (and, no, east coast does not cut it), an industry of choice, and the names of 30-40 companies I plan to target. I promise to write these criteria down on paper and share them with my network, which will make it easier for others to help me.
2. I will get on LinkedIn today (and study it like it’s my job). I know that there are two kinds of job seekers: those who are serious about their job search and those who are not. And, if I’m not on LinkedIn, whether I like it or not, I’m in the latter category. And, since there are tons of resources out there to learn LinkedIn, I will start by Googling “LinkedIn for Job Seeker,” and other related searches, until my profile is 100% complete. Dark ages, move over.
3. I will not spend more than 10% of my job search time responding to posted openings. Statistics show that only 15% of jobs are ever posted, leaving 80% of jobs unadvertised or never posted. With all of my (now) free time, I will network strategically meet people at the right level, in the right companies, at which to hire me, in places like professional associations, alumni networks and via social media.
4. I will look for information, not openings (because I know that people who seek information get a job much faster than those who are looking for jobs). By setting up informal discussions with decision-makers and/ or hiring managers, even if they are not hiring, I will be the “known” candidate when there is an opening.  In fact, this is the best time to meet with hiring managers, since they may be hiring soon and, (if I’m doing my job correctly) I’ll get a seat at the table!
5. I will get support when I’m discouraged, and help when I need it. Sharing concerns with trusted friends who can offer encouragement, and mentors or career experts who can offer specific advice can only help me enhance my self-confidence, pull me out of a rut, and help propel me forward.
6. I will give before I expect to get. I will promise to look for things I can do each day to help someone out, such as mentoring a student, recommending a colleague or referring a person to a position for which I am not a fit. I will do one thing each day to support the goals of others, because I know that generous job seekers land faster (and make more friends in the process).

To a happy, productive, and successful job search in 2012!

Before you can begin to claim your encore career, you have to know the rules of the road. Here are 6 mistakes mature job seekers should never make, and how to avoid them.

1. Failing to have a plan…
Ask yourself how many more years you want to work. Decide how you want to live those years and what you must do to get there. Take assessments to shed light on your personality and your preferences; your work style and priorities. Design the next forty (yes, forty!) years of your life, so the next job you take is sure to position you for the long run.
Note: A great exercise for this can be found in the book “Targeting a Great Career” by Kate Wendleton and is called The Forty-Year Vision.

2. Failing to embrace “that social media thing”…
If you are behind on Linkedin, Facebook and Twitter, how will you ever have time to learn Google+ or Quora? There are now more than 100 million users on Linkedin and 85% of employers are now “googling” job candidates, so if you are not in it, you are knowingly putting yourself at a serious disadvantage. Understand what can be found about you online and then strategically, rather than haphazardly, build your online presence. And, if you don’t know how, get help…yes, right now.

3. Mistaking Experienced with Overqualified…
If you are going for a job for less pay or responsibility, be proactive and share your reasons in the cover letter or the interview. Not looking for any more 15-hour days, or miss the excitement of a hands-on job, that’s cool. There’s a good and a bad way to frame it too, so get advice on, and practice, your delivery, because this question can quickly land you in the “no” pile.

4. Relying on the same old job search tricks…
Using multiple job search methods is one way to shorten your job search, and spending 20% of responding to online job postings is more than good enough! You heard me, step away from your computer (yes, you with the blue izod shirt). Include the following in your job search diet as well: networking with your target employers, direct & targeted mail, and using search firms (when appropriate), and you’ll do your job search a huge favor.

5. Copping an attitude…
Fear that you are harboring some resentment or bitterness toward your previous employer, or concern that you are about to be discriminated against by your next one? Get over it. Work out the bitterness before you get to the interview and stop looking for a scapegoat (your age, too much experience, the economy, etc.). Instead, share your energy and enthusiasm and consider all the new things you can learn from the new generation.

6. Going back to Nixon on your resume…
Clear the clutter from your outdated resume and tailor it to the jobs to which you are applying. A tightly-written two-pager is the industry standard now for those with 10+ years’ experience, but handing out a 3,4 or even 5 page doc will really show your age. Don’t turn your resume into a laundry list of your accomplishments from 60’s and 70’s. Remember, meaty information from early in your career can be showcased in other ways, without an assignment of dates.

So, that’s it. Oh wait, just one more thing. As a former Disney recruiter, I often feel the need to throw some “pixie dust” around (get used to it!), and since I’ve just shared six mistakes to avoid, how ‘bout we move on to something a bit more cheery? Here goes. For those moments when you are discouraged and frustrated, when you find yourself convinced that no one is hiring older workers, here are a few sites to prove you wrong:

• Retirement Jobs.com: Offers CAFÉ (Certified Age Friendly Employer) certification program for employers who meet certain standards for workforce policies.
• Jobs 4.0.com: Job board for candidates 40+; 3000 active listings w/ excellent companies
• RetiredBrains.com: Information on finances, health care, pets, volunteering and senior living; anonymous resume postings and thousands of temporary, part-time and full-time positions
• Seniors4Hire.com: Thrives with job listings from employers, got its start when Disney signed on.
• Workforce50.com: Continuation of Senior Job Bank, mission of matching older workers with employers
• JobsOver50.com: FREE service that partners with schools and alma maters to reach verified candidate base
• EncoreCareers.com: Resources to combine “purpose, passion & paycheck”

These Google tools help clear the clutter from your job search by bringing the relevant info to you. With Reader and Alerts you can stay up to date with industry news (subscribing to them rather than resorting to browsing daily) and set Google Alerts for companies or keywords such as “resume tips” (good idea prior to an interview or when exploring target employers).

2. ChaCha: Social Crowd sourcing Q & A site

Currently outperforming Yahoo Answers, ChaCha is a social search engine that enables you to reach people, not websites, who have answers to your specific questions. And, believe it or not, ChaCha guarantees an answer to each and every question. They achieve this nearly unthinkable task via a team of paid “guides” now 63,000 strong (want to join them? They’re always looking). To date, ChaCha has answered more than 1 billion questions, and while they don’t charge for their service, they do add the disclaimer that “message and data rates may apply.” ChaCha may be particularly useful for job search questions that require a very quick response.

3. ClearFit’s Career Finder: Predict your Success in your Job before you Land it

Free to job seekers, Career Finder by ClearFit allows you to compare how well you fit with different jobs, see your top career attributes and, of course, get a personalized career report. But, that is not what differentiates it from the masses of assessment tools on the market. This one uses a “normative’ survey which compares your scores against top performer scores in that role to accurately predict future performance. Now, that’s cool.

4. StartWire: Escape the Application “Black Hole”

According to Chris Forman, CEO and Founder of Startwire.com, “the mission of StartWire is to close this ‘application black hole’ by providing job seekers with free, automatic updates on job applications. Among the other features are the ability for Startwire to help your clients get weekly status updates that aggregate all job search activity, get automatic updates on job applications via email and text and unlock hidden job search connections of trusted friends and colleagues through sharing features that streamline network engagement. The feature is now available for more than 2100 employers and growing daily.

5. Vizibility: Create an Accurate Google Search about You

Vizibility is getting some great press and there’s good reason why: it allows you to manage what people find about you on Google. With more than 80% of recruiters “Googling” as a part of a candidate screening process, it’s essential that this data does not negatively impact employment. Vizibility’s PreSearch™ is a proactive strategy where users pre-select the information they want displayed in search results, and yields a SearchMe™ link, which can be added to résumés, presentations, business cards, and any other printed or online materials.

6. Google+: Google’s version of Social Media

While not open to the masses yet, is generating a ton of buzz in its first few weeks of field testing. Perhaps because I’m an organizational nightmare, one of my early favorite features, Circles, allows users to neatly organize contacts into buckets because allowing us cautiously select what we share with whom (of course, by now we all know that Facebook has a similar, but clumsier, feature). I can envision this becoming especially useful for folks in a confidential job search. Hangouts, allows users to video chat simultaneously with multiple friends, and enables each of them to see the other Google+ users. And, yes, there a mobile app for that, but you won’t be able to access it until you are part of the “club.”

Laura: There are few interview questions that put the fear of G-d in job seekers more than this one. The salary question, okay, I’ll give you that. The “Tell me about yourself” is, for sure, another. But, perhaps the biggest panic attack inducer would be: “why did you leave your company?” because of the concern that they will “find out” that we were fired.

Because this dismissal was due to performance (and not a layoff or reduction-in-force), it is really best not to misrepresent it. It may be uncovered in a background check or verbal employment verification anyway, so best not to waste time trying to sweet talk your way out of it.

Here are some good rules of thumb when approaching this dreaded beast of a question:

• Be objective. Try to detach yourself from the event and examine it honestly. You can’t change the circumstances. But, considering the part you played can go a long way to avoiding a repeat performance. Of course, not every relationship is made in heaven, and just because you were terminated doesn’t mean it was your fault!  Still, it’s good to check in…what could you change, if anything, going forward?

• Don’t play the blame game. The truth is, if you sound bitter, you won’t get hired. Period. There’s no second chance with this one. So, don’t give a long, rambling story about your situation, or blame the boss, company, or anyone you came in contact with during your work there. This will likely take some practice, in front of the mirror and in the presence of trustworthy friends who can tell you if you still sound a wee bit angry. And, if you need to head to five yoga classes a day to “om” your way out of your hostility, do it.

• Craft an answer that is serious, but optimistic. “We were unable to work effectively together, and it turned out to not be a great fit.” or “I have thought a great deal about this and can now understand now what went wrong. I don’t believe that I fully understood my boss’s expectations and, unfortunately, was released before I had a chance to prove myself.” or “I enjoyed my time there and learned a great deal in the process, and am excited to move on to this organization.” or “I usually have great relationships with my bosses, so this was really a first for me. I’m not sure why. But, I’m glad that we were both able to move on so we could each find the right fit.”

• Practice it…a lot. Sure, they may not ask you this question, but that’s no reason to risk it! Assume that it will come up—in every interview, no matter what—and then rehearse it like it’s your job.

Laura: Very timely question, as I know many job seekers are–given the economic conditions–having trouble finding full-time employment but are still remaining busy and professionally relevant with meaningful, albeit short-term, stints.

The good news is this; in most cases, recruiters don’t negatively view these types of short-term “gigs,” especially if they are still in your chosen profession. As such, if they truly are similar in function, you should treat them as one entry on your resume. In my humble opinion, I would opt for using the title “Consultant” or “Freelancer” over that of creating a company, as the latter indicates that you have attempted to go out on your own (especially if you have gone to the effort of forming an LLC or other legal entity), and then you’ll have to answer questions about why you don’t want to stay on “your own” any longer! Yikes. Best to be just be honest, I say. More importantly, make sure you highlight any accomplishments, making it clear the impact you had on these assignments, regardless of their ultimate duration.

For volunteer experience that is within your desired field, you can create a separate “Volunteer Experience” section, or you can include some of your major accomplishments in the career summary (if they truly are major and speak volumes about your work product) or include them in a “Community Service” section, which typically lands at the bottom of the resume.

Laura: Great question and one that is on the minds of many, especially in the contractor world that is DC! Depending on how long you have left on your contract, some of these may be a day late and a dollar short, but hopefully you can still reap some benefit from them nonetheless!

To increase your chances of converting a temp job into a full-time one, you’ll want to do the following:

• Let them know you’re interested in full-time work. This may seem obvious, but it’s important that you say it “out loud” to supervisors or HR, so that they can be looking for a place for you. Don’t assume they already know that you are interested in full-time; some folks believe temps would rather remain temps. No shame in saying, “hey, here’s what I’ve done (bring a summary of your best accomplishments to this meeting), I’ve made great progress, and I also really like it here.”

• Don’t overlook the basics (the temp job IS your interview for the full-time job). Dress professionally, be a team player, adopt the company’s culture, be punctual and be cheerful (smile)!

• Ask what else you can do. Be on the lookout for opportunities to join projects and do them wholeheartedly. One thing to note: make sure that these projects are endorsed by senior leadership and further the mission/vision of the organization before you hop on board; some matter more than others; seek those out.

• Mingle and make good friends. This is a great time to make some good connections in the company, so try to network (and network some more) while you are still on the inside!

Dear Laura: Although I don’t have any interviews set up, I do have a new opportunity. A fellow I knew in college (not well, he transferred to another school) has given me the names of two people to contact at two different associations. He said to send them my resume and tell a little about myself and that he would shoot them an email letting them know to expect to hear from me.

The problem is:

I’m fine with everything except that one sentence saying thanks, you may not have any openings at this time….. I’m stuck with that one sentence! Help!

Laura: Great question! This is the best time to sit down with a hiring manager: when there is NO job! Less pressure, no need to try to convince him/her that you are right for the specific opening, etc. But, I certainly understand why this would still feel daunting. Perhaps you fear that it might be uncovered that your motive to meet is less than pure; and will uncover that you really are a job seeker (oh no!) and, as a result, will have no reason to agree to a meeting (there is no job to discuss, after all). Being a job seeker is nothing to hide. And, going after a company with no open jobs is nothing to be ashamed of!

In some cases, you may get a no when there is no active job posting. In this case, however, you are a “warm lead,” meaning that your friend has pretty much helped you make this informational interview a slam-dunk. After you’ve introduced yourself as a friend of a friend, I would say: “I know your time is valuable, Mr. Hiring Manager. I would truly appreciate a few minutes of your time to meet with you to discuss a possible future fit, learn more about the exciting your company is doing in the (insert industry here) space, and I am anxious to hear how your group fits in. I very much look forward to speaking with you.” Voila!