Guerrilla Job Hunting

Follow Up After You Send Your Resume

It's vital that you call, email, fax and/or write to every employer you send your resume to, to make sure they received it.

 

If you think this is a lot of wasted effort, think again.

 

It's possible -- even common, given the blizzard of resumes most employer get -- for the hiring manager to never receive your resume, even if you follow the instructions in their want ad or online job posting.

 

And if they don't get your resume, how can you get an interview?

 

So, keep this in mind each time you contact an employer to follow up on your resume -- you're doing them a big favor. After all, why would they spend all that time reading resumes and interviewing people if they didn't want to hear from every qualified candidate, especially you?

 

This happened two weeks ago to a client of mine, whom we'll call Stacey.

 

She faxed her resume to a Fortune 500 company in Bloomington, Minn., to apply for a job she was eminently qualified for. But she never heard back. After three days, she called to ask if they had any questions about her resume.

 

Surprise! They never got her resume.

 

Stacey sent it again, this time by email. And she was called for an interview. Which would have NEVER happened if she hadn't taken two minutes to call and follow up.

 

 

Action Step: Trust, but verify. Send your resume with the expectation that it will be read by the right person. Then call to make sure that it actually was.

Compliments of David E Perry and Kevin Donlin. For more creative job search tactics, go to the Guerrilla Marketing for job hunters blog and download the free audio CD.

“Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters” breaks 1 million mark.

Yesterday Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters surpassed the 1 million mark.  Google revealed that a search for “Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters” returned 1,010,000 page references.

 

You may laugh, but I think it’s a big deal.  I can still remember when McDonald’s declared “more than a million served” – okay so I’m showing my age.   I know Lady Gaga and Bieber have a billion but it’s a start AND honestly what’s more popular GAGA or a book that tells you how to take control of your life and get a great job?  GAGA of course!

Of course the real test is what are the numbers for my mentor’s book?  Dick Bolles and What Color is Your Parachute is the reason I became a head-hunter.  After reading Richard’s book I created a self-help group with my friends and actually placed 23 of them before I naively thought I could do this for a living ... but that’s another story. 

So while Parachute remains the most popular seller on Amazon, clearly people are talking about the guerrilla books too [there are three editions now... I got that idea from Dick... I’m just not as prolific.] 

And Dick is ever the gentleman.  Here is the cover quote from the first edition of Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters in 2005:

This is an immensely helpful book, with the ancient wisdom of recruiters, and the up-to-date insights of two skilled Internet surfers. If you're job-hunting, you’ll be grateful to learn the tips and tricks of these two seasoned veterans. I learned a lot myself."

-Richard N. Bolles, author, What Color Is Your Parachute?

We feel great that people are landing jobs faster because of the book.  Our Guerrilla Job Search methods have already passed the test in some of the toughest cities in America, like Detroit where one man landed a 6-figure job just 8 days after hearing us speak. Three others whom we tracked landed just 7 weeks later – 5 times faster than the national average of 38 weeks [9½ months]. 

Read that back – 5 times faster than the national average of 38 weeks.  Why should your family or friends have to look for a job for 9 months?  Imagine if everybody in America had this information.  How much faster would this recession be over! 

Here are a few highlights from the last 6 years:

• Kiplinger’s Best of 2010 Award: the first time a non-finance book was chosen.
• Commentary from the Jaded Hacks at the New York Post.  Praise from New Yorkers is great.  High praise from BRIAN MOORE is golden as he writes Jaded hacks with little remorse for the ordinary. 
• The Wall Street Journal TV interview with Sarah Needleman was what really lifted the book. 
• Fortune Magazine’s Cover Story didn't hurt though. What started as a request for a single coment for a 300 word piece evolved into the cover story for writer-reporter Jia Lynn Yang,
• Fortune’s #1 piece on Yahoo.
• Television interview on Tech Now.
• After a ‘frosty’ reception here’s what Heald College’s career coaches really thought of us in San Francisco.
• A 58 year old bank president’s story 6 offers in 6 weeks.
• This Guerrilla Job Search Boot Camper’s 42 cent solution
• 345 Amazon reviews.  No job search book has ever had as many 5 & 4 Star reviews.
• Even John Tesh likes us.  Who’d a thunk?.

And of course the guys who brought you the Starbucks coffee cup caper, the Trojan Thank You Note and Networking with the newly departed are the same guys who were the first to integrate Microsoft’s TAG technology tp ever-green the book.

 

The secret to finding a suitable job today lies in mastering the digital search environment used by employers.  A rapid transformation in hiring practices has gone unnoticed by those looking for work.

Every year, 50-million jobs are filled in the United States  --  almost all without a job posting  because employers can’t deal with the avalanche of resumes they get.  Today, employers are relying on a brand new digital suite of tools and tactics to find the handful of “most qualified” recruits that they want to interview.”

Taking control of your employment is especially important in today’s demographic because so many people are looking for new kinds of work  -  work that has meaning for them.  Our population is getting older  –  for the first time, there will be more people over 65 than under 5  -- and older people are more reflective: they want to know they are doing something meaningful.  Our book helps provide a catalyst for their productivity.

The nature of work is also changing, as people seek control.  A new business model for the 21^st century is arising.  Enjoyment-based motivation, namely how creative a person feels when working on the project, is the strongest and most pervasive drive for workers today. When you are in control of your work there is the pure joy of creating. 

As the economy moves toward more right-brain, conceptual work, the motivators need to change as well:  to those stressing self-satisfaction and self-motivation. More and more people are working to their own tune: 15 million people telecommute every day…a large part of the workforce beyond the gaze of a manager.  These kinds of jobs require confident self-driven control of employment.

 

In short,

“in a digital age, you master the digital stage.”

Get gueriila today with a FREE audio CD on social networking. 

 

Leveraging your "unique selling proposition"

I was absolutely flabbergasted by the creativity of some of the recruiters and career counselors who answered our call for "War Stories".  Tales of success from job hunters stepped beyond the ordinary to reach their goals.  Here's one of those stories compliments of Ross Macpherson who's President of  Career Quest in Toronto, Ontario, www.yourcareerquest.com.  BTW, Ross is a first class career coach and innovator.  Now, in Ross's own words.

I worked with one client who specialized in retail merchandising (POP, planagrams, etc).  After developing her resume, we discussed putting together a targeted job search campaign to go after some of the bigger players in retail.  While working out her "unique selling proposition" 

 

she made the claim that she could walk into any retail environment and recommend how they could make more money through better merchandising.   I asked, "Can you really back that up?" and suddenly her plan was born.  My client targeted 5 major   retail outlets, went to a number of their locations, and made detailed  notes on what she saw and how she would improve it.  The first company  she contacted was a major outlet with offices located in the building  over the store.  She walked into the offices, asked to speak to the  person in charge of marketing, was told he was in a meeting until  11:00am, so she scribbled a quick note on a piece of paper that read  "I've just spent 30 minutes in your store.  I found  3 merchandising inconsistencies and identified 7 ways that should  increase your sales by about 12-15%.  My name is ____________ and I  will be waiting in the coffee shop downstairs." "Please hand   this to him at the end of his meeting. It's very important" and she   walked out.  Shortly after 11:00, the VP of Marketing came   downstairs, met her in the coffee shop, and spent the next hour   walking through every corner of the store discussing her findings.  Although no such position existed, the VP hired her as their new  Director of Merchandising. 

I hope that War Story sparks a few creative ideas for your job hunt Guerrilla.  You can find more on the official blog site for Guerrilla Marketing at www.gm4jh.com

David

Compliments of David E Perry and Kevin Donlin. For more creative job search tactics, go to the Guerrilla Marketing for job hunters blog and download the free audio CD.

The Ultimate Resume Guide

The Ultimate Resume Guide

Your typical resume is a bland lifeless boring 8 1/2 x 11 piece of paper which most hiring managers dread reading.    Like a Black & White television it's capable of getting your story across but - as they say - it ain't very engaging.  It's competing for their attention in a world of MTV and You Tube.  Guerrilla Job Hunters use modern marketing principles like graphics and color to grab a reader's attention. 

 

This guide takes you step-by-step through the process of building a resume that will make employers beg to interview you.  It'll help rev up your current resume OR show you how to do a 1-page Guerrilla one. 

As a bonus you'll get 25 One-page Guerrilla Resume make overs to "borrow" ideas from.  Just click here: and refer to "You Inc." the zebra in the bottom right hand corner of the screen.  We'll send you the latest version.

How to use research as a competitive advantage in job hunting

The most obvious change in job-hunting is the advent of the Internet. In the old days people would wait for the Sunday paper and check the classified section to see who was hiring or they’d simply ask their friends and neighbors if they knew of any job openings. Now, thanks to instant communications and round-the-clock access you can research companies and job-hunt anytime at more than 42,000 job boards and 500,000 corporate web sites. You can network with total strangers, thousands of miles from home, in your pajamas… not that where watching!

 

Here are 8 of the Top 50 research avenues covered in Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters:

ZoomInfo – ZoomInfo is the research tool I use the most. Can’t live with out it. Are you in it? You should be! And listing yourself or checking your profile is free. Register and Create a ZoomInfo Web Summary and Be Found and then Let Opportunities Find You. This is a craeer accelerator you can’t live without.

America’s Career InfoNet – The research tools for industry and occupations are second to none AND it’s free. There are several pages devoted to using it in Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters. Check it out for your self.

Just Sell - will email you a description of every company which has received new funding each week. The free report is divided by state or province and includes a description of the company and the purpose for the round of funding, and often includes the email addresses of the senior executives.

The Money Tree Survey - is a quarterly study of venture capital investment activity in the United States. It’s collaboration between PricewaterhouseCoopers, Thomson Venture Economics and the National Venture Capital Association. It’s excellent and it’s the only industry-endorsed research of its kind.

PE Week Wire is free and I have daily updates delivered to my email box bright and early each day. PE Week is the only industry publication that tracks and researches private equity deals for the entire venture capital market. The weekly newsletter and daily website give you in-depth news on industry trends, companies seeking investors, deals at all stages, participating firms, deal conditions, proceeds and pricing. It’s been a valuable resource for me.

• Vault – their industry career guides are world famous. The thousands of career opportunities are a nice bonus.
• Fucked Company – what can I say, some employers are coy and creative when it comes to representing themselves to high performance candidates. If you’re worried about being “blue skied” then check out a prospective employer here.

Google Alerts are email updates delivered to your email address once a day based on information you tell Google to watch for. For example the announcement of new executives or news stories on companies of interest to you. I use Google Alerts to find leads on companies who have hired new VPs of Sales because these executives might need my services to help staff their teams.

You'll be far more successful if you look at the hiring process from the other side of the desk—from the employer’s perspective. Put yourself in their shoes. They don’t want to hear about your personal career aspirations. They want to know that you’ve gone out and looked at their industry and you understand where they’re going. Research, research, research—and then match your experience to their needs.

Compliments of David E Perry and Kevin Donlin. For more creative job search tactics, go to the Guerrilla Marketing for job hunters blog and download the free audio CD.

eXtreme Resume Makeovers

Stand Up and Stand Out I get a lot of flack for some of my ideas but between you and I --- frankly you know you're doing something right when people start copying you're work. My eXtreme 1-page resume make overs are a good example. I'll save you the boring details but suffice it to say the average resume is a boring collection of pulp fiction. Here's a typical resume Download john_walton_before.pdf and here's the same resume reduced to one page Download john_walton_after.pdf with the salient features up front. Which would you be more inclined to look at and read if you where an employer - especially if it was sent unsolicited and you had no clearly defined open position? The answer is the "After" one. And that's the ONLY right answer. If you're the type who likes to copy or extrapolate you'll find 25 more examples here but I warn you they're not free. Having said that - what's your time worth? if you make $50k per year it's $25 per hour. If your experience with unemployment fits the norm then every extra day you look for your next gig costs you $200. The average job search is 180 days [BTW it's not when you have a plan and understand how to communicate your Value] Well I don't know about you but I have a lot of things i could do with $25k --- that little sports car i've been wanting for example. At $25 per hour that's how much you save buying the booklet. Personally I'd rather have a template to copy from I mean... improve upon... any way.

Compliments of David E Perry and Kevin Donlin. For more creative job search tactics, go to the Guerrilla Marketing for job hunters blog and download the free audio CD.

Why your traditional resume isn’t working for you

Non-Guerrillas do the following when they are looking for a job: -write a resume that details their responsibilities, -ask their friends and neighbors if they know of any job openings, -respond to newspaper ads, and -a few of the tech savvy ones will reply to job board postings. That’s it. That’s not enough anymore because that’s the bare minimum everyone else does too. Non-Guerrillas can count on the competition for the few advertised or known jobs to be fierce. Good luck to them. Your resume is a marketing tool. Does it include a statement about your background that’s so powerful that it transforms the reader’s initial scan into a lengthy read and then into a call to you? It has to. When you send off your resume, whether you’re replying to a specific opportunity or trying to uncover a hidden need, your resume needs to be read if you want to be considered. Many people are under the false perception that just because they’ve gone through all the trouble and agony of producing a resume, someone is actually going to read it and care. The fact of the matter is that you have somewhere between 6 - 10 seconds to impress a reader enough to get them to read the entire document. If they to they will likely take no more than 30 seconds. Since resume writing is not perceived as an enjoyable task, people will often try to produce one version they can use for every possible situation. They keep it nice and generic and stuff it with gobs and gobs of “responsible for[s]”. Unfortunately, these resumes are usually the ones that end up in employers’ wastebaskets. Writing an all-purpose resume is like writing an all-purpose marriage proposal: you’re going to have to kiss a lot of frogs … Your resume is your personal emissary. It should provide a positive first impression and an honest summary of your skills and attributes. It should always be typed or computer printed and meticulously prepared with no spelling or grammatical errors. It must convince the reader that you are reliable, responsible, and ready to successfully handle the responsibilities of the job. When your resume moves to the top of the pile, the reader will give it a brief look—perhaps for 10 to 15 seconds - for anything that piques their interest. Does your resume include a statement about your background that’s so powerful that it transforms their initial scan into a lengthy read? This is your one chance to make an impression. ARE YOU MAXIMIZING IT? Resumes, like every document, have a distinct purpose. Your success, as both a job seeker and resume writer depends on how effectively you tailor your message to each situation. If the job is worth going after, pursue it with a resume that has been carefully produced with a specific job in mind. Length is not an issue. Content is. People will read any length of resume IF the content is of interest to them, and that’s the secret. A resume can serve you in a variety of ways, but it’s primarily used in making the following types of contacts with prospective employers:

-respond to a job opening; -create unsolicited demand for your skills; -to cut and paste from to fill out an on–line application form; -supplement [not replace] a company’s standard job application; -before interviews to rehearse; -during interviews to draw the interviewer’s attention to a particular accomplishment; -after an interview to tailor a thank you letter; -as an aid for your references so they’ll remember what you did, especially if you were one of many on a large team; -during telephone interviews as a reminder because, after all, the interviewer has a copy; and -to prompt a recipient for the purposes of networking.

A Guerrilla’s resume screams, “here’s what’s in it for you”. A Guerrilla builds resumes that are relevant to a specific reader. They target them to a specific group if not an exact individual. Their resumes are always focused. They are never general. They are results-based never wishy-washy. They are accomplishment focused not responsibility laden. GUERRILLA RESUMES ARE MULTI-DIMENSIONAL, MULTI-PURPOSE DOCUMENTS. THEY’RE

-your introduction to a prospective employer; -the first impression recruiters will have of you; -the key to positioning your seniority; and -a bargaining chip for your salary negotiations.

In other words, it is a significant document in the advancement of your career. You should create SIX eye-popping, attention-grabbing resumes. Each of which has its own use.

Compliments of David E Perry and Kevin Donlin. For more creative job search tactics, go to the Guerrilla Marketing for job hunters blog and download the free audio CD.

Marketing and your resume

I subscribe to several e-newsletters. One perennial favorite is Dan Kennedy's. Dan is a professional marketer like my co-author Jay Levinson. His latest newsletter contained the following quote which is applicable to job hunters:

"The spider looks for a merchant who doesn't advertise so he can spin a web across his door and lead a life of undisturbed peace!" The two main reasons businesses of any kind fail are: 1. They don't market and advertise. Sadly most new business owners spend their money and their time on everything other than marketing. 2. They don't market the business effectively. You can spend a ton of cashola on marketing and not get any results if you are not following a proven direct marketing system. Take a look outside your door and make sure that there isn't a spider getting ready to spin his web.

So how about you job hunter? Are you spending your money and time focusing on the right things? Is your list of prospects honed to a razor sharp edge? Is it a list of your top 10 employers or top 100? My experience is that a list of 10 employers is doable. A list of 100 is too large for any but the most zealous to maintain focus and clarity. But even before your list, are your marketing materials all they can be? Is your value statement clear? Are you using a different resume for each opportunity or is it a one-size-fits-all generic piece of pulp? Do you have an eXtreme resume to open doors and a general one to leave behind? Does your resume make you stand out? Is it an invitation to dance or an obituary? Is your marketing message too diffuse to be of value? Or does the reader instantly understand the value you bring? Most marketing and advertising misses the mark.... all you have to do is check the "junk mail" delivered to your home today to realize this is fact. So, Guerrilla job hunters fail because they lack focus and proper marketing materials. These are easy things to fix. So as we enter into the Christmas job hunting rush I suggest you hone your focus down to a handful of companies you can demonstrate real value to and then tell them how you're going to do it. It's nearly Xmas. Go put your dream job under your tree.

Compliments of David E Perry and Kevin Donlin. For more creative job search tactics, go to the Guerrilla Marketing for job hunters blog and download the free audio CD.

In résumés, cutting the fiction reduces the friction

It's okay to sell your strengths (and admit your weaknesses), but recruiters prefer you back it up with hard facts, ROMA LUCIW writes:

Nothing in the job interview alerted Lorna Hegarty to the candidate's lie.

It was only after a routine check with the company where he worked that she learned his term there was closer to 18 months rather than the three years he had claimed. When Ms. Hegarty asked for an explanation, the applicant said part of his working stint had been on contract. But that also turned out to be untrue. Several awkward phone calls later, his credibility fading fast, he withdrew his application.

See the Globe & Mail article for the balance of the article.

Compliments of David E Perry and Kevin Donlin. For more creative job search tactics, go to the Guerrilla Marketing for job hunters blog and download the free audio CD.

Resume lingerie: How to get invited to the party!

Like lingerie, the purpose of a good resume is to heighten the reader’s interest in what’s possible. What might be if only…

 

It’s not your life story [nobody cares]. It’s not a manual [no one has time to read it]. It’s not a manuscript [you’re not that interesting]. It’s a marketing brochure.

Your resumes only purpose is to pique their curiosity: To get you a face-to-face interview. That’s it. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have 10 seconds to make an impression you have 6 seconds, or worse 3 seconds if the company has no opening and your just networking.

That’s the harsh reality. The truth bites. Now you know why the analogy applies. Sex sells. Are you desirable? Your resume must be eye-candy in a sea of deadly dull and boring black & white résumés or you’ll miss your opportunity to impress them and regale them with your accomplishments.

Don’t save the best to last. It won’t get read. Lead with your best foot. Put your accomplishments up front and if you haven’t yet figured this out ---- the names of your clients or better yet their logos strategically placed in your resume will get an employer’s attention --- especially if they want them as clients too.

Compliments of David E Perry and Kevin Donlin. For more creative job search tactics, go to the Guerrilla Marketing for job hunters blog and download the free audio CD.

Resumes: The Unwritten Rules of The Game.

 

There are certain unwritten rules that if you adhere to will increase your chance of getting the attention you deserve.

Give Your Readers What They Want

You have 6-30 seconds to convince a reader that your resume warrants a complete read, an investment on their end of 5-6 minutes.

A recent poll I conducted among fellow recruiters revealed most spend less than 15 seconds on the first page of your resume. Most, in fact, never get past the email note or cover letter, let alone your carefully worded “Objective” and, frankly, human resource managers are no better.

No one has time to waste waiting for a Job Seeker to get to the point… so the first rule of resume writing is to construct your resume so the Reader gets the information they need fast. A little advance planning is called for.

 

Be Relevant.

Presumably the reader has a job you’re interested in, so show how your experience fits their requirements. Don’t assume people can or will “read between the lines” – they don’t have time. It’s not their job and they don’t care about you – yet.

 

Target your Reader.

You need to understand who your “reader” is because – different people read resumes looking for different things.

• Recruiters look for “hot” marketable skills because they want to make money marketing you. If your skill set is not in high demand, they won’t call unless you are an exact fit for a job order they have.
• HR folks look for an exact skill fit with a job first, then your stability, then your personality type.
• Hiring managers look for skill sets first, then how flexible you are and finally your ability to learn on the job.

 

Keep it Crisp

People are visual. They like looking at documents that are clean, neat and well constructed.

 

 

Use Bullets

Sentences, that is. Short sentences are easier to write and easier to read. They also give the reader a sense of action and energy. The reader can get the gist of your experience quickly. You can elaborate at the interview.

 

Highlight your Strengths

Whichever strengths (accomplishments) are the most relevant to your reader – they go first. Always lead with your best foot forward.

 

Demonstrate Results

Use ###, %%%, and $$$ to emphasize your accomplishments. One million dollars is less likely to be noticed than $1,000,000. Numbers and symbols jump off the page.

 

Give it “POP”

Power verbs like those below give your resume “pop”, that crisp delivery of “just the facts ma’a’m – just the facts”. They’re high energy and factual, making you appear to be a “driver”! Just rewriting your resume alone with these words will increase your chances of being interviewed by 50%.

 

 

Accelerated

Accomplished

Achieved

Activated

Addressed

Admitted

Aided

Allowed

Amended

Analyzed

Apportioned

Approved

Arranged

Assessed

Attained

Augmented

Balanced

Brainstormed

Calculated

Certified

Collaborated

Committed

Compiled

Conceptualized

Consented

Contracted

Convinced

Coordinated

Correlated

Created

Increased

Initiated

Invented

Led

Negotiated

Started

 

Be Concise

Your resume should not contain one more word than it needs – to make your point. Ok?

 

Connect the DOTS for them

Make it easy for the reader to see your fit to their job. Before you write your resume, research newspapers, job boards and Internet ads for positions that are similar to the ones you’ll be seeking.

Ensure that the latest “buzzwords” are prevalent. Common key words and phrases like “JAVA or Audit Trail or channel management or DWDM” should map to the bullets in your resume.

Scientists and senior executives should prepare an appendix of publications and papers as well. Technical people need a separate Technical Summary page like this for easy identification of your skills.

How to get hired with a 3x5 card

In the middle of the Tech Wreck I wrote a best selling book on how to get a job.  Following the launch of "Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters" I was besieged by tens of thousands of people who wanted my help finding them a job [that's not what I do for a living - that's what the book is for...].  There where a few people who offered to partner with me and one such person is Kevin Donlin - a master job hunting guerrilla and best selling author himself.  I think you'll really enjoy this clip from his blog : GetHiredNow.tv A low tech idea for reaching your career and job hunting goals.

Compliments of David E Perry and Kevin Donlin. For more creative job search tactics, go to the Guerrilla Marketing for job hunters blog and download the free audio CD.

 

Qualify your prospects.

Like any good sales person, before you start job hunting you need to know what a qualified prospect for YOU looks like. Here's how to do that:

1^st, Choose the selling cycle that suits you best.  [what type of firm gets you excited?]

2^nd, Ascertain where you can best leverage your rolodex. [ which comapnies will pay the most to have you?]

3^rd, Match your style to the market. [are you a Hunter, Farmer or Commando?]

Line up all three elements successfully in one job and you’ll triple your income. Try using the One Minute Resume as your calling card.

Compliments of David E Perry and Kevin Donlin. For more creative job search tactics, go to the Guerrilla Marketing for job hunters blog and download the free audio CD.

How to write a non-fiction book review on Amazon.

I have to admit this is an unusual post for me. It's not about you.  It's about me.  Or more precisely --- my book, "Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters".  Which, when I think about it is really about you and your job search.  

Quite a few people have asked me lately how to write a review for my book on Amazon, so today I'm going to walk you through the steps. 

The mechanics for posting a review are the same for ANY book you read on Amazon. 

As an author I'm telling you that there's nothing more gratifying than seeing a 5-Star book review on Amazon. Barnes and Noble or where ever.  It means I've connected and helped you. And that puts a huge smile on face!

So without further delay... here’s what Amazon readers are looking for in terms of information and commentary to help thme decide if a particular book suits their interests. ( i.e. will they actually read and get value from your recommended books).

 

How to write an amazon book review

• 1st a few suggestions on what to write to get you thinking
• 2nd understand the mechanics for writing a review

Suggestions on what to write in a non-fiction book review

Think about the person reading your review.   Take my last book for example; the person reflecting on your review is very likely:

• Looking for a job themselves;
• Looking for information for a friend or relative that’s in job hunting mode; and/or
• A career or guidance counselor who’s adding to their library of job hunting, resume writing and cover letter books.

The potential reader likely wants to discover a better way to write their resume, find job leads faster or network using social media tools like LinkedIn, Facebook and MySpace.  Perhaps they need to know how to build a blog for job hunting, use Twitter, or discover what the best creative new ways to get in front of a hiring manager are – without being blocked by gatekeepers or getting stuck in human resources. 

In short, they’re seeking an edge. 

So with that in mind the first question you have to ask yourself is, "what where the “take-aways?” or the “Ah-Ha” moments in the book for you personally.  What did you learn?  What made you uncomfortable BUT you tried it anyway and were successful?  Next, would you recommend the book to your best friend if they were job hunting? 

Now, you just tell the reader.

Here are some possible ideas to start you off:

• Did you like the book?  --- I liked this book because... 
• Was it written in a style you liked?  --- I liked the way the author writes... 
• If it was highly technical were there examples?  Were they good examples?  Were there references or links to additional information? 
• Is the author credible?  Did they know the subject matter?  Did they bring anything new to the discussion or body of knowledge?

Example

For example, if you wanted to write a book review for "Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters 2.0", here are some questions which you might reflect on in order to help you write a review which will be meaningful to those people who will read the review: 

1. What was your personal situation?  Where you employed and looking?  Unemployed? How long had you been looking?
2. Did the ideas in the book accelerate your progress? 
3. Did the ideas help you get interviews?
4. Did you find a job? How quickly?
5. Think about the type of job you were looking for – which of the 1001 tips, tricks and tactics worked best for you? 
6. Did it force/challenge you to change old habits?
7. How did you apply the personal branding section?
8. Did your Guerrilla Resume get an employers attention?
9. Did you engage in eXtreme Networking activities, create a LinkedIn profile or start a blog?
10. Did the chapter on interviewing {Hand to Hand Combat} help prepare you?  How?
11. Was there a chapter/vignette/antidote that struck a chord with you?
12. What was your favorite part of the book or what was the most useful section for you?
13. Did the book spark your creativity and led you to develop fresh ideas on your own which lead to interviews?
14. How did the book affect you?
15. Were any previous ideas you had on the subject changed, abandoned, or reinforced due to this book?
16. How well has the book achieved its goal?
17. How did you originally hear about the book: friend, networking event, or counselor?
18. Did you like the author and contributing co-author’s styles?
19. Did you like the War Stories?  Anyone in particular? Why?

 

Another  suggestion

I suggest you write a first draft in your word processor and then when you’re comfortable with it, cut and paste it in to the text box [step 5 below] BUT mostly I suggest you write it from the heart and not just your logical mind. 

 

The mechanics for writing an amazon book review

To create a book review please follow these exact steps:

1. First and most importantly, you have to have bought the book and read it. Don't write a review for a book you haven’t read.  It does no good for anyone.
2. Find the book you want to review on Amazon and find the "Product Details" section.   This is the section that details how many pages the book has, who the publisher is and the average customer review.[For example - Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters-  http://amzn.to/gJx2wa ]
3. Click on the "Write a review" link located right next to the "Average Customer Review" information.
4. Rate the book on a scale from 1 to 5 stars, with 1 being worst and 5 being best.
5. Enter a title for your review.  That could be an overall statement about how you felt about the book.
6. Enter the full text of your review in the provided text box There are no length requirements or restrictions.
7. NOTE: If you're a friend of the author say so.  If you received the book from the author to review it - say so.  People don't mind those types of reviews but you need to tell the reader or your review has no credibility OR worse someone buys the book and feels "had", which destroys the review process Amazon has set up. 
8. Certify that you are over the age of 13 (and thereby allowed to contribute a review) by checking the appropriate box.

That’s it.  If you followed these steps your review will appear within 24 hours on Amazon. 

David Perry

PS A lot of headhunters read Amazon reviews looking for possible candidates to recruit.  This is especially true for highly technical books that are written for a very focused audience for example in engineering, medicine or leadership.  Take advantage of that fact and also review books that will get you found by headhunters in your industry.

 

   

Don’t try this at home: #49 of 50 Ways to Find a Job

There’s a huge obvious benefit to engaging in creative out-of-the-box activities which will bring you to the attention of hiring managers. There’s also a real danger of crossing the line and doing something in poor taste or something that puts you or the potential employer at risk. Here’s an example pulled from the pages of the Montreal Gazette in Montreal, Canada on October 15^th , 2004:

“The job hunter hoped his resume would land him an interview. What he got was the attention of the bomb squad. The man was arrested after he included his CV in a ticking package left in a Montreal marketing firm’s washroom last month. It was his way of drawing attention to the application, as he was among 400 contenders vying for six paid internships. The 24-year-old didn’t get the job but he did get charged with public mischief. He had handed the receptionist an Arabic newspaper with a note alerting her to the ticking parcel in the men’s washroom, police said. At a time of heightened concerns over terrorism, the package raised the specter of a bombing.

Montreal police evacuated the company’s building. Later, police discovered the package was harmless. It contained a metronome - a device used by musicians to help maintain rhythm and tempo - along with the candidate’s CV. “

Compliments of David E Perry and Kevin Donlin. For more creative job search tactics, go to the Guerrilla Marketing for job hunters blog and download the free audio CD.

Press Kit: #12 of 50 Ways to Find a Job Today

People make all kinds of claims about their skills and abilities when in fact they’re not true, so it’s little wonder that employers are naturally skeptical. So if you have won awards, have been quoted in the news, or have any other type of “proof” that your accomplishments really do exist, then build a portfolio and send it with your cover letter and resume. I’ve done this myself many times, first as a job-hunter and than later as a head-hunter in search of projects. A picture is worth a thousand words and an article, reference letter, or thank you note from a client, is worth a thousand more. 

•  If you’re a student looking for your first real job, send a transcript of your marks. It probably doesn’t matter but it might, especially if you kept a high GPA and a part time job.
• Copies of articles and awards should be included
• Use Xeroxed copies; don’t send originals because you may never get them back
• In articles, highlight the part about you so they don’t need to search for it.
• Bring this with you to an interview as well because the individual items in the Press Kit make good talking points.

This is a perfectly logical idea and a natural extension of your resume.  For years architects and designers have been dragging around portfolios to sho prospective clients and employers.  Why not you?

Compliments of David E Perry and Kevin Donlin. For more creative job search tactics, go to the Guerrilla Marketing for job hunters blog and download the free audio CD.

Use personal letterhead and envelopes : #11 of 50 Ways to Find a Job Today

If you want to increase the pull of your direct mail campaigns then consider putting together matching letterhead and envelopes that have your picture on them. I use the head and shoulders shot below with quotes from clients to increase my mass mailings. You can do the same thing. I recommend you do this with your second and third tier prospects because the direct one-on-one approach will work better. This is a great idea for marketing and sales people who want to change industry and need to generate a large quantity of leads quickly.

• Use a good quality head shot.
• To save money ask a friend to use their digital camera. Make sure it’s set on the highest quality. You’ll need a 400 dpi resolution jpeg to ensure a crisp picture.
•  Wear a good suit and tie.
• Take off your glasses so the flash doesn’t reflect off them.
• Use a light background behind you and wear dark clothes.
• Make certain you wear a contrasting color shirt. For example white with a blue suit, so you can be seen clearly when the picture is shrunken to one square inch and printed in black & white or gray tones.
• It’s a statistical fact that if you hand-address the envelopes more people will open them.

Compliments of David E Perry and Kevin Donlin. For more creative job search tactics, go to the Guerrilla Marketing for job hunters blog and download the free audio CD.

Retail Success

I worked with one client who specialized in retail merchandizing (POP, planagrams, etc). After developing her resume, we discussed putting together a targeted job search campaign to go after some of the bigger players in retail. While working out her “unique selling proposition” she made the claim that she could walk into any retail environment and recommend how they could make more money through better merchandising. I asked, “Can you really back that up?” and suddenly her plan was born.

My client targeted 5 major retail outlets, went to a number of their locations, and made detailed notes on what she saw and how she would improve it. The first company she contacted was a major outlet with offices located in the building over the store. She walked into the offices, asked to speak to the person in charge of marketing, was told he was in a meeting until 11:00am, so she scribbled a quick note on a piece of paper that read “I’ve just spent 30 minutes in your store. I found 3 merchandising inconsistencies and identified 7 ways that should increase your sales by about 12-15%. My name is ____________ and I will be waiting in the coffee shop downstairs.”

“Please hand this to him at the end of his meeting. It’s very important” and she walked out.

Shortly after 11:00, the VP of Marketing came downstairs, met her in the coffee shop, and spent the next hour walking through every corner of the store discussing her findings. Although no such position existed, the VP hired her as their new Director of Merchandising.

Compliments of Ross Macpherson, President Career Quest, www.yourcareerquest.com

Compliments of David E Perry and Kevin Donlin.For more creative job search tactics, go to the Guerrilla Marketing for job hunters blog and download the free audio CD.

Competitive Analysis : #2 0f 50 Ways to find a Job Today

Do a competitive analysis on one of your targeted employer’s products and send it to them. People assume that all companies keep up to date on their competitors, but this is rarely the case. Most companies don’t have the budget or the ability internally to keep on top of innovations and best practices so your piece will likely be most welcome.

•  Focus on companies that are direct competitors with those you want to work for, not your own company.
•  Potential employers need to get something out of reading the piece.
• Use graphs and charts wherever possible because people like visuals.
• Make it only as long as it needs to be.
•  Ask for an opportunity to discuss your findings with the hiring manager if they’re interested.
• Offer to share your primary research if they’re interested

Compliments of David E Perry and Kevin Donlin. For more creative job search tactics, go to the Guerrilla Marketing for job hunters blog and download the free audio CD.

Send a letter stating you are over qualified : #6 of 50 ways to find a job

Send a letter stating you are over qualified.

Send your resume and a cover letter which states “It’ll appear obvious from my resume that I’m over-qualified for the job you advertised, so let me tell you why you should interview me and consider “super-sizing” your opportunity”.

Write a bulleted list of 3-5 benefits you think they might be interested in.

Close the letter saying something to the effect that “I am old enough to have already learned from my mistakes – so my experience is more cost effective than a more junior person. In a few months, or years, you’ll need to send them on training to upgrade their knowledge, whereas I come fully equipped to do the next job too.”

• Point out any certificates or advanced training which you already have that someone in that job might be expected to acquire.
• Show you are already qualified to do the next position too.
• Point out any retraining allowances or incentives employers might be eligible for if they hire a more seasoned person.

Compliments of David E Perry and Kevin Donlin. For more creative job search tactics, go to the Guerrilla Marketing for job hunters blog and download the free audio CD.

Is HR killing American business: Proof HR doesn’t get it!

I have to rant ... just a little tonight... I swear some days it just feel slike HR is waht's standing in  the way of the American recovery.  Let me tell you why HR just doessne't get it. 

I received this email yesterday addressed to, "Dear Recruiter".

Let me ask you something... when was the last time an HR manager said to you at an interview: "Thanks for sending me your generic resume.  And your generic email instructing me to read it.  Aren't they the ones usually insisting you research the company and spell their name correctly?

Boy I sure felt special – honored even to have received it- Because you're the hottest candidate I've ever seen.

NOT!!!!!

Isn’t it HR who always complains about people who send resumes with generic cover letters that say; dear sir Madame... or something to that effect?  It's un professional.  Don’t they also say they prefer candidates who understand  their business and can speak to their needs? It’s a rhetorical question. Of course they do! AND all the books on writing résumés and cover letters including my own, Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters, say the same thing. Customize your letter and resume to suit the opportunity. Research the company before you send the letter. Do your home work and show initiative by addressing your letter – email – fax to the person who’s responsible for hiring people into the role you’re looking to fill.

Well in my SPAM basket tonight is yet another RESPAM-ume [that’s a resume sent to me with a generic “hey buddy look at me message”.

But this one is different. It’s from an HR Director.  And not a junior at that. No less than an “Accomplished Senior Human Resources Professional with over 12 years of experience".

Ok I admit her subject line got me to open it because it was so provocative: "Results Driven HR Professional" This, I thought - I have to read.  So I clicked on it with great hope only to be disappointed again with her note to me, “I have attached my resume for your review. You are receiving this resume because your firm specializes in the industries and functions I selected while using resume distribution service. Thank you for your consideration, and I look forward to hearing from you if an appropriate opportunity presents itself.” BLAH BLAH BLAH [emphasis mine] 

So I think --- ok how bad can this be?

Their must be some merit to it, I was wrong, sooooo wrong. But all is not lost.  I wasted 15 minutes of my time so you can benefit from their mistakes.

Let me tell you the top 3 things this candidate did wrong so you don’t do it too.

1. Their resume was titled, “current resume.doc". This is absolutely wrong. At a minimum your resume should have your name on it like John Smith when you save the document. Or better yet John Smith results driven HR Manager. It's recipient needs to be able find it later, it doesn’t take a genius to realize that you should make it easy for a harried recruiter or hiring manager. Do you know how long it would take to open and sift through ALL the other word documents titled “current resume doc?”. Do you think anyone is seriously going to bother!

 

1. Ok sowhat else? Well there wasn’t one shred of proof in the resume, anywhere, that this person was indeed “results driven” as her subject line had promised. Not one      accomplishment in 3 pages, no savings of money or decreasing costs. No streamlining of processes. No revamping of procedures.  Exactly the things this HR manager would likely be looking for in the resume of a new hire.  The closest I came was this line:, “Displayed great enthusiasm, creativity, and initiative”. To which I must ask – so what? Ok, so now I’m really confused. I’m just a simple headhunter but I have to wonder if this “Results Driven HR Professional” would even bother to read their own resume if it came across their desk? I think not and

 

1. I conclude that because I opened up the properties box in the word document [it’s under the “file” prompt] to find out when the document was written. 11 months ago. So they’ve been looking for 11 months. Must be spamming now because they’re desperate. But it would be a whole lot easier less costly and better for the environment [less dead trees] if this HR Professional where to articulate their value proposition, research the market demand for their skills and target employers instead.

DON”T let this happen to you.

I concluded this candidate obviously isn’t “results driven” nor are they a hot property I would want to promote to any of my clients.

But the part that just kills me?This that this is the norm with HR people.

America is facing a crisis of confidence with its workforce.

The social bonds between  employer and employee where severed in the last recession and are irreparable on a national scale. HR isn’t an island of trust anymore and it needs to be because culture is the last bastion of competitive advantage in America, just HR is responsible for guarding and extending culture.

Tonight, this candidate scars me to death. Because I know they’ll get a job. They’ll land somewhere --- eventually AND then they’ll be put in charge of hiring the company’s best and brightest – and yet another company will go belly up with everyone wondering why, is it any wonder applicants try to circumvent the “system” when clueless people are in charge?  It just stuns me. Perhaps I should be thankful. No I – I hope HR wakes up and become a FULL PARTNER in building America’s businesses, because right now they’re still getting in the way --- and don't even realize it.

Here's Why you should use LinkedIn to Research your Interviewer

Know who you’re negotiating with. Ever drive a great deal on a car only to find the salesman couldn’t approve the deal?  Did the 'Sales Manager" suddenly appear only to cause you to start the negotiations over? Frustrating isn't it! Suddenly you're sitting in the drivers seat and one wrong move and you crash. Knowing where a company is in the hiring process gives you power to negotiate.

You can leverage the situation you figure out:What’s their time frame for a hiring decision? How long has the position been open? What kind of deal you get with their competitor is if they have made any offers that were refused.

Lastly, do your homework to understand what’s in the deal for the interviewer. Can they afford to walk away?

Like Donald Trump said:

"The Worst thing you can possibly do in a deal is seem desperate to make it.  That makes the other guy smell blood, and then you’re  dead.The best thing you can do is deal from strength, and leverage is the biggest strength you can have. Leverage is having something the other guy wants. Or better yet, needs. Or best of all, simply can’t do without."
—DONALD J. TRUMP, TRUMP: THE ART OF THE DEAL

Don't try this at home: When creative job hunting tactics lead to jail.

There’s a huge obvious benefit to engaging in creative out-of-the-box activities which will bring you to the attention of hiring managers.

There’s also a real danger of crossing the line and doing something in poor taste or something that puts you or the potential employer at risk.

Here’s an example pulled from the pages of the Montreal Gazette in Montreal, Canada on October 15^th , 2004:

“The job hunter hoped his resume would land him an interview. What he got was the attention of the bomb squad. The man was arrested after he included his CV in a ticking package left in a Montrealmarketing firm’s washroom last month. It was his way of drawing attention to the application, as he was among 400 contenders vying for six paid internships.

The 24-year-old didn’t get the job but he did get charged with public mischief. He had handed the receptionist an Arabic newspaper with a note alerting her to the ticking parcel in the men’s washroom, police said.

At a time of heightened concerns over terrorism, the package raised the specter of a bombing.  Montreal police evacuated the company’s building. Later, police discovered the package was harmless. It contained a metronome - a device used by musicians to help maintain rhythm and tempo - along with the candidate’s CV. “

Needless to say he DID NOT get the job.

Compliments of David E Perry and Kevin Donlin. For more creative job search tactics, go to the Guerrilla Marketing for job hunters blog and download the free audio CD.

“Do Yourself a Favor, Dump that Guerrilla Resume”

You Guerrilla doubters out there are going to appreciate this article because it is added proof that a Guerrilla Resume simply is not everyone’s favorite flavor; and that our methods are especially disliked by many so-called, process oriented job experts out there.     

One of our current  students (Mark G.) who is enrolled in the 10 week Guerrilla Job Seekers Boot Camp shared an interesting in the trenches story during last Friday’ job seekers conference call.    

Per one of his weekly assignments, Mark applied to a particular department, and to a specific person within a company that piqued his interest.  He used his Guerrilla cover letter and one page Guerrilla Resume in the “precise manner” that he learned in our boot camp. (The former is where I believe the overwhelming majority of “maybe want-to-be” Guerrilla job seekers fail. That is because they don’t follow our EXACT Guerrilla instructions and/or the job seeker puts together what they “think” is a Guerrilla cover letter and resume when in reality, it simply isn’t.)  

To continue Mark’s story, the hiring authority routed Mark’s resume to Human Resources (HR) and “directed” them (HR) to call Mark in for an interview.  Therefore, HR had no choice but to call Mark because HR does not have the authority to tell the boss –“no !”  

Here is where the story gets interesting…  

Upon arrival for the interview and following company protocol, Mark first sat with the HR Manager before meeting with members of the actual hiring team. According to Mark, after the HR person looks over his resume, that individual sits back and says, “You truly do yourself a disservice using a one page resume such as this.”  

Mark asks, “How so ?”  The HR professional responded by saying, “Well this is really nothing more than a dressed up functional resume that lacks sufficient detail. It’s not the way things are done.” 

Mark responded by saying, “The cover letter and the 1 page resume method I used was only intended for the sole purpose of an employer to sit-up, pay attention and want to talk with me.”   

The HR person then said, “But this resume leaves out particulars that we would like know before an interview takes place.”  Mark then said, “Well, my one page resume and the information I provided got me in the door for an interview, didn’t it ?”  

Purportedly the silence in the HR persons office was deafening regarding the matter and Mark was sent on his way to interview with the real decision makers !   

Did I say, “Do yourself a favor, dump that Guerrilla resume ? “  Sorry, I didn’t really mean that, but it got your attention didn’t it ?

Mark J. Haluska, Senior Certified Guerrilla Job Search Coach for North America

www.psychoape.com  

 

Starbucks Helping Job Hunters Find Jobs 65% Faster

How Starbucks can Help Job Hunters How to Find a Job 65% Faster

Mary Berman, from Farmington Hills, Michigan, had been looking for work for 5 months  before starting a “Guerrilla” job search.

Up to that point, 20 weeks of job hunting had produced zero job interviews.

Just 7 weeks later, she accepted a job on as a marketing executive assistant.

How did she use Guerrilla job hunting tactics to find work 65% faster?

“I saw a job advertised online and applied by mail. I sent a box with a paper Starbucks coffee cup, my cover letter, and resume inside. On the side of the cup, where it has boxes for the type of coffee, I made my own box that said, ‘Hire Mary’ and checked it with a black marker. I heard back a couple days later to get my first interview,” says Berman.

After her first job interview, which went well, Berman followed up with panache. “It was Halloween time, so I decided to send them a chocolate covered apple with my hand-written thank-you note in a bag. I had a friend of mine, who was off work that day, take it over and deliver it to [the employer]. That was a big hit — they were thrilled — and I got the second interview out of it.”

Berman’s second job interview was with the executive vice president. Afterwards, she followed up diligently. “When I came home, I wrote a 30-60-90 day plan. I had taken copious notes during the interview and used that information to create suggestions for what I would do in my first 30, 60, and 90 days. I sent that to them via FedEx with another thank-you note. And I got a job offer.”

Now. Let’s break this successful Guerrilla Job Search down …

1. Start smart. The Coffee Cup Caper — a paper Starbucks cup, full-color Guerrilla Resume, and a cover letter (asking to meet for coffee), shipped in a box — gets extraordinary results. By contrast, ordinary resumes and cover letters, sent by email, get ordinary results.

2. Follow up with style. Delivering a Halloween treat with her thank-you note was correct seasonally, if not politically. Use good judgment before sending items that might be perceived as bribes by employers sensitive to such things, such as universities or public-sector organizations.

In Berman’s case, however, it worked like a (chocolate-covered) charm.

And, leaving out the gift, think of the impact a hand-delivered thank-you note can have on an employer, versus standard U.S. Mail or email. Could you arrange to have your thank-you note delivered by a courier, or a friend acting as one? Of course.

3. Give employers another reason to hire you. Mary did this in spades after her second interview, when she sent a written plan of action that outlined her first three months on the job.

A 30-60-90 day plan is a way of proving you can do the work — before you’re even on the payroll — by describing how you would learn the job, build rapport with employees/customers, and contribute to the bottom line.

Mary’s plan was 8 pages long and took the better part of a Friday night to prepare. (Before you balk at spending an entire evening at home researching and writing a 30-60-90 day plan, ask yourself if you wouldn’t trade a night out for getting a steady paycheck again.)

4. Score style points with your delivery. Mary’s first follow-up, the chocolate-apple-thank-you note, was delivered by a courier, not by email. Her 30-60-90 day plan was delivered by FedEx, not by email.

 

Do you not see a pattern?

Email should NOT be the delivery method for your career documents. Because you can’t delete a courier, and a FedEx envelope can’t get caught in a spam filter.

Bottom line: This smart Guerrilla had failed to get even one job interview in 20 weeks of job hunting with conventional tactics.

After adopting unconventional Guerrilla tactics, she found work in only 7 weeks.

If Guerrilla job search methods can work in Michigan, where the unemployment rate tops 15%, they can work where you live.

The only thing stopping you from thinking and acting like a Guerrilla Job Hunter - is you.

*******************************************************************

Compliments of David E Perry and Kevin Donlin. For more creative job search tactics, go to the Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters blog {www.GM4JH.com] and download the free audio CD.

Personal Branding lesson from : Would the Terminator get Terminated

Used wisely, email is a great tool. It’s instant and costs next to nothing compared to the mail AND your targets secretary won’t intercept and delete it!

Guess AGAIN! 

The challenge is getting your message delivered - and opened. The proliferation of SPAM of all kinds has forced most employers and certainly all head-hunters to install sophisticated software that automatically deletes unapproved email.

So how can you increase the likelihood that yours will be one of the very few unsolicited emails that gets opened? The answer is both simple and difficult: write a great subject line.

To do this, you must be clear, compelling and specific.  Here’s a drab, uninspiring subject line like the hundreds I get every single day:

 

Sales VP Resume attached for your review

Yawn. It entirely lacks sizzle, a sense of urgency, and specifics.  What a waste of ether. I wouldn’t open it.

Let’s bring it to life:

David, how many VPSales can generate $150 M new revenues in just three years?

It’s long, but it takes you somewhere interesting. It has a fighting chance of enticing a click-through.

In the previous example, the jobseeker has no direct personal or business connection with the potential employer. But if there is such a connection, make it clear in the subject line, in an intriguing way:

David, Bob Hannah says you and I should talk

So your subject line does its job and the email gets opened. Now your first paragraph closes in for the kill. It can’t be like this:

As a senior sales and company executive, I have developed, mentored, and managed high performance sales teams, installed sales metrics and created sales plans and strategies in highly competitive markets. My experience includes both national and international duties.

Feel like you’ve read this before? I have, thousands of times. It’s as generic as an airport lounge. I get thousands like this every week. I never ever read them! To have an impact, the opening paragraph needs to have personality, attitude, and substance. Something like:

Hello David Perry,

 

Sales

VPs—they’re a dime a dozen. Right? Yes—with a few exceptions. Like me.

From June 2002 until March 2005, I drove revenues at XYZ Corporation from $80 million (and flat) to $130 million (and still rising). Before that, the sales team I led at XCO had the highest numbers across the global organization—18 quarters in a row.  Now I’m ready to repeat that kind of success for another company—like yours. Are you ready to talk to me? If so, give me a call right now at 123-4567. Let’s talk.

See the differences Guerrilla? Now it’s your turn. Drop and give me 20 then write a couple of your own and ask yourself – would anyone besides your mother open and read it?  Don't be terminated.

Compliments of David E Perry and Kevin Donlin. For more creative job search tactics, go to the Guerrilla Marketing for job hunters blog and download the free audio CD.

Become "The Expert; #8 of 47 Ways To Find A Job Today

Become recognized and branded as an "industry expert" by writing and producing a newsletter. All you really need to do is summarize best practices – add your experience or comments – print and mail it. When you send a newsletter with topical information that’s actually useful, employers may recognize your name when you telephone, making them more likely to take your call. When they in turn are looking to hire someone with your expertise you’re likely to be one of their first calls.

• Newsletters should be 1-4 pages but no longer.
• Summarize lengthy pieces and refer the reader to your web site for the full text version.
• You can dress up the newsletter without breaking the bank by using pre-printed paper from companies like Paper Direct, http://paperdirect.com/
• Make an electronic version and put it on your website.

Skeptical?  Don't be.  Everyone takes the "experts" phone call. 

Compliments of David E Perry and Kevin Donlin. For more creative job search tactics, go to the Guerrilla Marketing for job hunters blog and download the free audio CD.

Would you like the opportunity to actually work with David Perry and I next week ?

Tomorrow July 8^th at 6 p.m. Eastern Time is the deadline to express your "genuine" interest.

It’s going to be an unforgettable summer for those fortunate enough to join he and I for the upcoming 10 week Guerrilla Job Seekers Boot Camp. 

Why?  

Because in this highly structured Guerrilla Job Seekers program, we are going to teach you unconventional tips, tricks and tactics that you WILL NOT find; even in the best-selling “Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters” series of books !  

Naturally the course will include countless strategies that we NEVER blog about herein or anywhere else for that matter.

Best of all---you will be getting your weekly lesson plans, our exclusive Guerrilla Job Seekers software  not available to anyone who is not in our class ---at any price, you’ll be joining us for small group sessions as well as “one-on-one” time with us (both) throughout the program.     

Participation is LIMITED in order to give those who enroll in our program the individual attention you will not only need--- but deserve, in this unprecedented lackluster job seeker market.

After some discussion, we came to the decision to extend enrollment until Friday, July 8^th at 6 p.m. Eastern Time. 

We cannot accept any further applicants for the upcoming 10 week session after this firm date and time because Day 0 of the course is Saturday July 9^th and you don’t want to fall behind !    

For questions and more information you can call me (Mark Haluska) directly at my office at 724-495-2733. Should your reach my voice mail, simply leave me a message and I will return your call as quickly as possible.

Mark J. Haluska

Senior Certified Guerrilla Job Search Coach for North America

p.s. If after the 10 week course, and provided you perform all of your Guerrilla assignments, if you not working by then, we will stick with you FREE of charge until you are working !!!

A trojanhorse strategy for job hunters.

Everyone's face lights up when they see one of those little envelopes  that are peculiar to "thank you" note cards - those tiny little 4 x 4 white envelopes with barely enough room to write a name and address on  the front and a return address on the back.

 

Fold your resume and cover letter together carefully until they fit  inside and then mail.

• Don't use labels, address each one by hand
• Use this technique around any holiday - Christmas, New Year's,  Fourth of July, etc.
• Use a small size tasteful stamp.
•  f you feel you can afford it, use a stamp with your picture on it.  In Canada you can put any picture you wish on a stamp. Details on their Picture Postage program can be found here: http://www.canadapost.ca
• To really get noticed, use a stamp with their logo on it and send  them the rest.

 

Compliments of David E Perry and Kevin Donlin. For more creative job search tactics, go to the Guerrilla Marketing for job hunters blog and download the free audio CD.

Sex sells.

Does your resume excite and motivated people like lingerie from Victoria’s Secrets or keep them guessing like flannel?

Make it easy for an employer to see what they’re after. And what exactly is sexy to an employer?  Quantifiable results and accomplishments!

Prepare a 1 page resume and dress it up with the names and logos of the major clients you’ve sold. Employers want to know about your wins first not your responsibilities.

Boring black and white resumes are like flannel nighties - they're comfortable but may not get you the attention you're looking for.  

 

In résumés, cutting the fiction reduces the friction

It's okay to sell your strengths (and admit your weaknesses), but recruiters prefer you back it up with hard facts, ROMA LUCIW writes:

Nothing in the job interview alerted Lorna Hegarty to the candidate's lie.

It was only after a routine check with the company where he worked that she learned his term there was closer to 18 months rather than the three years he had claimed. When Ms. Hegarty asked for an explanation, the applicant said part of his working stint had been on contract. But that also turned out to be untrue. Several awkward phone calls later, his credibility fading fast, he withdrew his application.

See the Globe & Mail article for the balance of the article.

Compliments of David E Perry and Kevin Donlin. For more creative job search tactics, go to the Guerrilla Marketing for job hunters blog and download the free audio CD.

Commando Job Search Tactic #1: Be Hunted

  Be Hunted.  Like Google, if you don’t rank among the first 3 people a recruiter thinks of when they’re starting a project… you won’t get “clicked” for the opportunity. 

Increase your visibility and expand your network by presenting at conferences, seminars – even usergroups.  Ask to be your company’s designated speaker.  You   can have someone else write the material if need be.  Public speaking is an effective job hunting technique.  Recruiters will beat a path to your door.

It's a million times easier for yoiu to answer the phone than to try and get an employer to talk to yoiu if you're looking for one  - right!

For more great Guerrilla ideas, grab your copy of our Free Audio.

David Perry and Kevin Donlin
Co-Creators, "The Guerrilla Job Search System"

 

 

Day 3 - The 12 Days of Christmas Job Hunting

Day 3

On the 3^rd of Christmas --- Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters revealed to me:

 

The 3 R’s of job-hunting

In grade school we learned the 3 Rs of Reading, wRriting and aRithmetic.  Those were our most important lessons [ok so I’m dating myself].  For job-hunters it’s Research, Relevancy, and Resiliency which will deliver an A+ interview.

Research

As a job-hunter you need to research and determine:

♦   what are your marketable skills;

♦   which industries/companies you should target that use those skills;

♦   what are the specific needs of each company in your target market;

♦   who’s in a key position to hire you in those companies [who can say YES to hiring you AND it won’t be human resources unless you’re an HR professional]; and

♦   what’s the best way to approach them?

The way you approach people will be determined by your research.  There’s more about research in the book.

Relevancy

Your skills have to fit an employer’s needs.  It has to solve the employer’s hot buttons [their corporate weaknesses – this could be sales, market development, research ops].  Remember it’s not about you it’s about THEM!    At the core employers’ initially only want to know three things about you:

♦   Can you make me money?

♦   Can you save me money? and/or

♦   Can you increase our efficiencies?

 

As global competitiveness increases, employers will be looking for all three of the above.  In Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters the book we clearly demonstrate how to express your relevancy – “Value” – to an employer.

Resiliency

Resiliency is the ability to spring back from disappointment and keep moving forward.  This is a quality which keeps Guerrilla job hunters focused on their goals and driving forward on a daily basis. 

Adopt a positive mind set no matter what.  Here’s how you do it: You should have your job hunting goals sitting in front of you everyday and review it everyday.  Morning and night and then execute that plan.

Guerrilla job hunters always look for the positives even when people and events are clearly indicating they shouldn’t.  Guerrilla job hunters need to look under rocks too.    Let me end this section with a story that touches on all the points you’ve been reading about attitude.  This has been a taste of what’s in chapter # 2 of Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters.

 

The complete "12 Days of Christmas Job Hunting eBook" is here: http://tinyurl.com/2aqe6e3

 

When an Alternative Resume Could Be the Key to Landing a Job

Resume writing isn't what it used to be. Just look around. We are constantly being deluged with articles, videos, and books; all telling job applicants how to keep up with the Joneses. It's not too much of a stretch to say that writing a resume has truly evolved into an art form. However, when you think about it, the basic concept hasn't changed. The name of the game is still to let everybody know how wonderful you are. What is changing is the technology. No longer are we limited to only one way of writing our resumes. The days of following the rules (ie; perfect margains, order of education and experience, etc) are over.

The question is, "Are the new alternatives better than the old-fashioned approach?" It depends. "Alternative resumes" are certainly becoming increasingly popular and it's easy to see why. With so much competition out there, everyone is looking for that edge - something to set them apart and get them noticed.

But let's be careful too. Getting noticed can be a two-edged sword. Here are five of the newest approaches to resume-writing and some of the benefits and pitfalls of each:

Video resumes: These are essentially personalized commercials. The applicant provides an on-camera presentation about him/herself using some convenient form of digital media (DVD, internet download, etc).

Pros:

• The employer can size up a jobseeker without taking the the time, energy, and expense of making a trip or flying the applicant in.

• Some employers see videos as a good way to assess a candidate's energy, attitude, and creativity.

• Many people now-a-days are visually-oriented. As such, they may be more likely to pay attention to a video resume than a written one.

Cons:

• Many companies are equal opportunity employers. Seeing what an applicant looks like could potentially lead to bias regarding race, gender, age, etc., when making hiring decisions.

• Parsing information (for comparison purposes) from a visual resume can be a lot more work for a recruiter than from a text resume.

• A poorly recorded video (bad lighting, low-quality sound) can do a lot more harm than good.

Visual resumes: These are usually power-point (or equivalent) presentations. The presentations can be homemade or created via an online tool.

Pros:

• "A picture is worth 1,000 words." One slide can potentially convey more information than several words on paper could ever do.

• The applicant has the opportunity to present him/herself in the best light by producing a prepared, well-thought presentation.

• The presentation can be a great conversation-starter during the candidate's first interview.

Cons:

• A quality presentation can be time-consuming to make and costly to produce.

• There is the potential for technical problems and/or platform incompatibility when incorporating video formats such as mp4, wmv, or flash.

• Applicants may need to continually revise their presentations to make them suitable for different employers.

Audio resumes: These are voice recordings using the jobseeker's actual voice. They can be done in either narrative format or by the applicant answering a set of pre-recorded questions.

Pros:

• The applicant has the opportunity to showcase their communication skills and voice quality.

• The audio content can be scripted, rehearsed, tailored to fit the employment opportunity.

• The employer can assess the candidate's ability to be well-spoken. This showcases his potential for smoothly interacting with co-workers and/or customers on the job.

Cons:

• For some jobs, your ability to speak well may not be a relevant factor in the selection process.

• There is a feeling among some that simply hearing a candidate speak doesn't add value to the resume. Their information could be communicated just as effectively (or more so) in a cover letter.

• An audio resume without a visual component may be perceived as incomplete.

Personal websites: A growing number of job applicants are creating custom landing pages on which they post personal information.

Pros:

• A personal site gives a candidate an advantage over the competition when a potential employer "Googles" the candidate's name.

• A web presence is a way for jobseekers to communicate their personality, passion, and intellect in a way that a traditional resume can not.

Cons:

• Websites can quickly lose their effectiveness if they are not updated regularly which requires the time of the applicant.

• Replacing a resume with a link to a website can be percieved as a sign that the applicant is reluctant to provide a foundation for a conversation.

Professional networks: Sites such as LinkedIn and the Behance Network are becoming increasingly popular venues for job applicants to post their professional profiles.

Pros:

• LinkedIn and similar sites are often the first place potential employers will go to in order to find additional information about job applicants.

• Job seekers can build a large network and reach targets that they would not normally have interacted with.

• It is becoming expected that candidates post their professional profiles online.

Cons:

• Users on network sites often become targets of spam, making the job searching process more cumbersome.

• Posting any personal information on networking sites incurs at least some loss of privacy.

Whatever method you choose for yourself, remember to be honest about your experience and highlight your strengths. Potential employers will always value someone who is geuinue and eager to work hard.

Brendan Cruickshank (Vice President of Client Services) - Brendan is a veteran of the online job search and recruiting industry, having spent the past 8 years in senior client services roles with major sites like Juju.com and JobsInTheMoney.com. He is quoted regularly as an expert in employment and jobs trends in major media outlets like the Washington Post, US News & World Report, and Forbes and has spoken at recruiting industry events such as Onrec and Kennedy Information’s Corporate Recruiting Conference.

How to Find a Job in 2010 and Beyond!

Cindy "X", is a former HR executive responsible for hiring who agreed to be interviewed by Kevin Donlin and myseld today so long as we did not user her last name. 

Cindy discusses several touchy HR issues including the ramifications of going around HR.  Her insights will surprise and I say - encourage you!  I was suprised by her answers.

So, if you're looking for job and not gettng the results you want then you might benefit form watching this webinar.

Here is a link to the inside page so if you missed the call or want to see it again, you can.

If the page is missing that means the replay of the webinar has been taken down, sorry there's nothing I can do about that - it's a technology issue.

A “Guerrilla Job Seeker” tip you won’t find in our best selling book!

I’ve stated in prior articles that the moment you become a job seeker, the FIFTH (5^th) task you should undertake (in order of importance) is your resume and cover letter.  To me, doing a resume right off the bat is like planning an important business trip but not knowing where you are going, how you will get there or what your real agenda will be once you arrive.

 

If I were a job seeker however, the SECOND undertaking in order of importance that I would carry out is drawing up a list of potential organizations that I would want to work for…and at this time not care if they were hiring or not. The idea here is just to get this list fully completed with the knowledge that modifications will likely be made as necessary and as time passes.

 

Now, here comes the tip:

 

As “a part” of your SECOND most important undertaking as a job seeker, and once you have fully researched all the information you need regarding your list of potential employers, you should also visit and sign up with a web site called “Watch That Page” or http://www.watchthatpage.com

 

Why should you sign up ?

 

You’ll save a lot of time and (time) is the only commodity in life you can never recover. If you are a serious job seeker you need every moment of every working day to be productive in your job search. I think most of us can agree that as someone devoted to landing their next position, you can never know enough about a new potential employer. Moreover, many organizations are highly active in keeping their website pages up-to-date  especially in terms of its current openings page, the executive and sales team pages, and especially it’s PR or (latest) News page. These are pages you should be paying attention to !  

 

How is this a Guerrilla tip ?

 

Beyond the time savings, you will be automatically tracking employer web pages that could potentially be of value to you. That in turn can lend itself to opening up a number of way Guerrilla Job Seeker tactics could be put in motion to either swing an interview in your favor or “earn and interview” you may not have otherwise been granted !   

 

Now ask yourself what would be easier; taking the time to (manually) “frequently and deeply” comb through each and every website that is on your list of potential employers to harvest the latest information (or) being automatically notified anytime a page(s) change on those would-be employers websites ?

 

Interesting to note is that using “Watch That Page” is FREE…unless you get ridiculous and become an unadulterated power user.  I’ve been freely using Watch That Page for several years now and I have found it to be highly reliable. It has saved me hundreds of hours of mundane research.  What’s more is that it allows me to keep tabs on designated pages within websites of interest because when a “tracked” page has any changes, I am  notified either the same day or the next via email.  It’s a great research tool that I highly recommend you put to use today !   

Have a Great Guerrilla Day !

In closing, there are copycats out there but; if you or someone you know are looking for a new job, get one faster and would to like to learn more about authentic "Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters" training; don't be bashful, visit me at http://www.psychoape.com

While you are there don't forget to grab a copy of our FREE audio CD for Job Hunters --- a $ 50 value !

Mark J. Haluska

Being Creative in Your Job Search: So Much More than Gimmicks

We've heard the arguments ad nauseam, and they can be said to be true of almost any age. I'm sure you've heard time and again, that because of the precarious economy, competition is extremely stiff and the only way that anyone is going to make it is to "stand out from the rest." This is certainly a valid argument, but in an economic climate in which everyone is trying to one-up one another, standing out isn't simply about being flashy. Creativity as distinguished from ostentation (or flashiness) is the most essential element in searching for a job, but it's absolutely necessary once you get your job, too. In fact, creativity is perhaps the most sought-after quality in the job market today.

 

Consider this—economist and social scientist Richard Florida speculates that what he calls the "creativity class" has and will become the driving force in America's economic development in the twenty-first century. Although Florida defines the creative class in a number of ways, he identifies two groups of creative types—the Super-Creative core, whose work "along with problem solving, may entail problem finding," and Creative Professionals, who "draw upon complex bodies of knowledge to solve specific problems."

 

Now what does this all mean in terms of your job search? For one, if the creative class is indeed a highly-sought after group of people, then the process of successfully finding employment will be, by definition, a whole other ball game. Instead of simply come up with cute, new "tricks" to make yourself stand out, the best course of action is to demonstrate—every step of the way, through your resume, your interview, even approaching the initial job search in the first place—how you fit this mold of a creative individual.

 

One very small example of demonstrating creativity that Richard Florida mentions in a Creative Class blog article is Facebook and Twitter status updates. Although the article initially explains how portraying a bad image on social networking sites can cost you your job (as we all know by now), he suggests that the opposite also holds true. Florida posits that posting interesting, clever status updates with relevant articles and other resources will demonstrate to potential employers your enthusiasm for living a creative life—something that many recruiters are increasingly looking for in job candidates.

 

Above all, being creative in your job search is not just a way to help you get noticed among the legions of potential job candidates. Rather, creative job search techniques—something that Guerilla Job Hunting is all about—are important for their own sake. They are a window into the world of the Creative You, someone whom employers are desperately seeking out.

 

By-line:

This guest post is contributed by Angela Martin, who writes on the topics of Career Salaries.  She welcomes your comments at her email Id:  [email protected]. 

Watch How Job Seekers Overcome Age Bias

“Age Bias,” has become somewhat of a buzz word associated with job seekers over a given age, but let’s call it for what it is…Age Discrimination.  There I feel better now.

 

When does it begin  ? 

 

It’s been my experience that age discrimination starts rearing its ugly head when one is over 40 years of age and not 50 as is widely believed. 

 

Does age discrimination exist ?  I know it does, at least to some degree.

 

In fact, as an Executive Search Professional, I once had a new client (a household corporate name you would know) who screamed obscenities into my phone and further threatened to fire my search firm; if in the future we sent them anyone 40 or older. 

 

What was their (twisted) rationale ?

 

“People over 40 simply do not have enough (runway) left in their career to advance far in this company,” they were quoted as saying to me.  By the way, this was the belief and a rigid mandate set forth by the company’s Regional President who ironically enough was closing in on 60 !   

 

Did my firm get fired ? 

 

No, I fired the client because it is both wrong and illegal.  Now before anyone asks, when we took on this new client, they neglected to mention that they discriminated based on age. I can only assume that they were accustomed to working with recruiters who would look the other way; they must have assumed that my firm would do likewise.

 

Did I try to “educate” this Regional President as to the consequences of being convicted of Age Discrimination ?  

 

Yes I did, and to no avail.  His response was short and sweet, “That’s what our lawyers are for and that is the end of this discussion.”  Oh well, that just goes to show that not “everyone” in a position of authority will modify their moral compass even if at their own peril. 

 

So, how do the “more experienced” workers over 40 gain meaningful employment ?

 

First and foremost, even though you “feel” you may have been a victim of age discrimination it does not mean you in fact were. Let’s face it; on a national basis, this is likely the most competitive job market we have seen in our times.  You may have been a casualty due to the sheer numbers of unemployed people you are competing with.  Then again you may have been competing with a Guerrilla !   

 

If you are a job seeker over 40 or over 50 for that matter, here are seven rock-solid proven points to seriously consider while looking for your next gig:

 

• Your resume and cover letter must quickly and clearly articulate your value in that it addresses an employers primary pain points; no great revelation here except for the fact that very few people can skillfully do it.      
• Approach your search with an absolute goal in mind that goes above and beyond just getting “another” job.   
• Remember that what YOU want is of no significance to a potential employer.  
• Humanizing your job search is a cradle to grave undertaking, you must do so throughout the ENTIRE process. 
• It is of the essence that you’re talking and meeting with “yes” people.
• Don’t be a nuisance, but be “imaginatively” persistent with potential new employers.
• Networking, be it direct or indirect is still the number one proven way to land a new job. Learning to socially engineer your way into a new position will pay off.   

 

If I were to describe a “typical” Guerrilla Job Boot Camper,” they would be over 40 (or 50) and of course unemployed when they joined us; as a best guess I would have to say that less than 1% of our boot campers have been under 40 years of age.  

 

Go here to WATCH several short videos and see what these people did to overcome (either) real or imaged Age Discrimination. You’ll note that not one of them is under 40 !

 

http://www.psychoape.com/recommendations.html#video

 

Have a Great Guerrilla Day !

 

Mark J. Haluska

http://www.psychoape.com

724-495-2733

Job Seeker Goes Bizarre in Pittsburgh !

Meet Steve, a job seeker from Pittsburgh,PA.

You can actually “meet” Steve momentarily on a couple of short video interviews that Steve (along with my Guerrilla colleague Kevin Donlinand I) at a Holiday Inn just outside of the city last Tuesday.

When Steve was first laid off and as part of a severance package, his employer paid $ 5,600 for him to attend a short employment outplacement program with one of the well known “big boys” in the outplacement consulting industry.

The end result for Steve was that by using their recommended methods for finding a new job; he ended up submitting literally hundreds of resumes to prospective employers with nothing to show for his time and efforts. Before Steve knew it, he surpassed the one year mark of unemployment. By Steve’s own admission, he was losing confidence in himself and enough even some of his own identity.

Has this happened to any job seekers you know ?

Steve has been a financial service’s professional for nearly 30 years. Before joining us at the Guerrilla Boot Camp, the very few employers who actually did talk with him quickly dismissed his candidacy telling him that he was “overqualified.”

Do you know of any job seekers who have heard that line before ?

A brief history - Steve had been out of the workforce for 14 months and felt he was running out of options. As it turns out and unknown to me at the time, he had been following my blog postings for a time and decided he had nothing to lose by contacting us. Steve did so in January 2010 to ask about our 10 week Guerrilla Job Seekers Boot Camp.

Now the bizarre part:

While Steve was enrolled in our Guerrilla Job Seeker consulting program, (he was) all along sharing his experience regarding our unconventional tips, tricks and tactics with his immediate family members as well as a “job search buddy” we require all Guerrilla Job Seekers to enlist.

His “job search buddy “embraced our methods and was intrigued, but one Steve’s highly successful family members was quoted as saying, “Those things you are being advised to do in that boot camp are simply too bizarre ! “

I’ll let you as the reader be the judge.

I say that because what is truly “bizarre” is the fact that while Steve was enrolled in our job seeker boot camp, his first offer was delivered in a mere 4 weeks and 3 days after joining us. Furthermore, Steve was asked to entertain a total of six (6) offers after talking with eight (8) potential employers within that very short timeframe.

Oh, did I mention he only sent out a total of 10 resumes while working with us ?

In this day and age, that kind of job search success is staggering !

On a closing note and as I type this, Steve is savoring his hard earned job search victory with a start date of March 15th. He is a newly appointed Senior Vice President at a most prestigious organization here in Pittsburgh.

This new Guerrilla Boot Camp graduate is now positioned to earn nearly 4 times more in guaranteed base and potential bonus than he was “originally willing to settle for” because of 14 months of rejection by employers and resigning himself to the fact that; even if he did find a job, he may be forced to join the ranks of the grossly under-employed.

To watch Steve’s story…………..

Simply go to: http://www.psychoape.com and click on the button titled,” What Do Job Seekers Say about Us”

Once you have clicked on that button, near the top of the page there will be two side-by-side video’s featuring Steve. The videos are titled:

• “80% Interview Success Rate for Guerrilla Resume!”

• “Guerrilla Job Search Coaching: Shock and Awe!”

Have a Great Guerrilla Day !

In closing, if you or someone you know are looking for a new job, get one faster and would to like to learn more, don’t be bashful, visit me at http://www.psychoape.com

Mark J. Haluska

• One of only 4 certified Guerrilla Job Search Instructors in North America  

Publications:

· A Contributing Co-Author of the highly acclaimed "Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters 2.0," 1,001 Unconventional Tips, Tricks and Tactics for Landing your Dream Job. Released June 2009  

· A Contributing Co-Author of the best selling book “Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters,” 400 Unconventional Tips, Tricks and Tactics for Landing your Dream Job.  Released September 2005

• The Guerrilla Marketing series of books has sold over 20 million copies in 62 languages worldwide !  

·  Recommended reading for Corporate Hiring Authorities: “Executive Recruiting for Leaders,” Insider Secrets for Locating, Evaluating and Retaining Top Talent by David Perry and Mark J. Haluska, Released July 2008

 

Does “The Best” Resume Guarantee You an Interview ? (Part 2 of 3 Parts)

If you read Part 1 of this posting, you might be thinking, Mark you implied in Part 1 that more or less a high number of companies would want to interview me if I do a “Best Resume.”

Is that right ?

I would have to say, “Yes, that would be correct.”

As I stated in Part 1 of this article, your cover letter and resume “should “realistically net a 30% to 75% success rate in terms of being contacted by your targeted employers. Those percentages are based on the ranges that our Guerrilla Job Seeker clients have enjoyed to date, even in this recession !

As a practicing Executive Search Professional (aka Head Hunter), a Certified Guerrilla Job Search Coach and a contributing co-author of two best selling books on the subject both (published by Wiley) within the last 5 years, what I will say is that your cover letter and resume must pass the 15 – 20 second smell test or you’re toast.

Your cover letter must be concise and articulate your value to the point of making that potential employer slam on the on the breaks, come to a complete stop and really pay attention.

Likewise, your resume has to deliver a quick and hard one-two knockout punch. Your message has to hit them right between the eyes; because the clock will still be ticking on that 20 – 30 second smell test.

So, how would I define “the BASICS” of a “Best Resume” ?

Here are just 12 basic ideas to get you started.

As I stated in Part 1 of this article, your newly updated resume ought to be your 5th (fifth) priority when it comes to finding a new job. Now, aside from the usual punctuation, spelling and layout errors resumes are prone to have, here are some “BASIC and simple” Guerrilla rules: (Well they are not entirely trouble-free because it requires people to in fact think followed up by the execution of a well thought out game plan. )

1. Your cover letter must be aimed at the one person in the company who genuinely cares about filling the position. I say that because it just stands to reason that the job would not be open if the company did not have a dilemma on their hands in need of resolution.

2. The first thing the recipient at your target employer is going to read, if done properly, is your cover letter. If done as I suggested earlier in this article, this will at least get you on first base. Don’t believe all that blather that recruiters and employers “never” read cover letters. Many people WILL but only if the cover letter is personalized, intriguing, to the point, and begs for more.

3. Sign your cleverly created cover letter in light blue ink.

4. Add a post script at the end of the cover letter using a presumptive sales technique to close it out.

5. Your resume doesn’t necessarily have to be on top grade paper in most cases. Paper in the medium price range will do just fine as will the color of white.

6. Don’t use an ASCII (Plain Text) resume format unless you are expressly instructed to do so. ASCII resumes are first read by computers. To the human eye however appear and most often read like a Microsoft instruction manual. 

Due to time constrains I have to run for now. Let’s hook up in a day or two at the same place. I’ll outline the next 6 (six) additional points to consider relative to what constitutes a “Best Resume”  and also share with you an absolutley astonishing resume success story by a client of ours who did the exact things I am talking about and with astounding results.  

I hope you join me for Part 3 of this articleand in the meantime, have a Great Guerrilla Day !

In closing, if you or someone you know are looking for a new job, get one faster and would to like to learn more about authentic "Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters" training; don't be bashful, visit me at http://www.psychoape.com

Mark J. Haluska

Does “The Best” Resume Guarantee You an Interview … a MUST read (Part 1 of 2 Parts)

To quote Bill Clinton, “it depends what you mean by "The Best.”

Ok- that is not EXACTLY what Bill said, but you get the idea. :)

If you gave your resume to 10 different resume writers, (or wannabe writers) I’d venture to guess you’d likely get 8 to 10 diverse opinions as to “what” your resume really needs to be considered “The Best” and land you an interview invitation.

Did I mention that if you lost your job today, that scrambling to write / update your résumé should NOT be the FIRST thing that you do to find a new job?

Other than breaking the bad news to the family and filing for unemployment compensation of course, Guerrilla Job Seekers know that putting your “best” resume together should be the 5th (fifth) thing you would do as a matter of setting priorities in obtaining a new position. .

You read it right; the FIFTH chore you should carry out!

One thing that “most” resume writers will not disagree with is that your résumé is a very important part of your personal branding. Your resume AND cover letter should sell both the steak AND the sizzle at the same time!

Yes, despite what you may have read elsewhere, cover letters will be read IF you give the recipient a reason to do so !

More often than you would imagine, the most qualified person does not always get the position. I know this to be fact because I was a senior decision maker for years and (I) knowingly did not always make an offer to the “best qualified” applicant for a variety of reasons. Moreover, our Guerrilla Job Seeker Boot Campers have reported back to us scores of times where they were told after being hired that they were not “the most” qualified.

According to these new employers, it was their unique approach that put them over the top.

Why?

Because the best qualified individual was never viewed in quite the same light as the person who branded and marketed themselves as the ultimate commodity. In this highly competitive job market, these people discovered how to get, and then keep the attention of the prospective employer.

In fact, the best qualified candidate may never have been interviewed because of a poorly prepared resume, cover letter and then failure to follow-up. Then again, their resume may have just fallen into the HR Black Hole as a result of a poorly trained HR screener.

What is an ill-prepared resume?

Aside from the usual punctuation, spelling and layout errors resumes may have, an inadequate résumé is one that fails to compel of AT LEAST 3 of 10 carefully targeted hiring authorities to want to immediately talk with you. In fact, if you were to contact 20 targeted employers and batted a .750 (or a 75% call back rate) I would not at all be that surprised. It would not be the first time!!!!!!!

So, what I am saying is that “The Best” resumes can only be measured by the results you achieve in terms of invites for an interview.

Wow, in light of the competitive job market we’re facing today, that’s a bold statement isn’t it Mark ?

Due to time limitations today, I have to close for now. Catch me in the next business day or two and I’ll continue this thread, going over “the basics” of a “Best Resume.”

In closing, if you ever thought about being a Guerrilla Job Seeker, don’t to be bashful. Visit us at www.psychoape.com

There’s a FREE audio CD valued at $ 50 in it for you!                                        

Have a Great Guerrilla Day!
Mark J. Haluska   

                                               

Posted 1 day ago | Delete discussion

The 12 Days of Christmas Job Hunting 2010: Day 11

{Hummed to the tune "The 12 Days of Xmas} 

Free DVD Offer

On the 12th day of Christmas - Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters 2.0 revealed to me

12 Ways to Renew Your Job Search

1.     Begin 2010 with clarity-- know your target job and the top 10-20 employers you want to work for (you will start seeing opportunities where before you saw none, just like buying a new car and seeing it all over the road)

2.     Network with former employees -- find them on Google, LinkedIn, or your own network

3.     Be easy to find -- create your free profile on ZoomInfo.com, America’s largest database of working professionals (used by thousands of recruiters every day). Download fresh contacts from FreshContacts.com

4.     Stop sending cover letters -- send sales letters instead (you can’t bore anyone into hiring you, which is what most cover letters attempt; you must sell employers)

5.     Stop sending resumes -- send resume lingerie instead (your goal is a phone call from the hiring manager; hit their hot buttons with one page and you can make the phone ring)

6.     Let others sell you -- use testimonials in your resume and cover letter (because one testimonial from another person is worth 10 claims made by you)

7.     Do the thinking for the employer -- figure out the specific value of your past achievements, in numbers, dollars, percentages (never, ever assume that busy readers will figure out your value)

8.     Get on LinkedIn -- it’s America’s largest social networking site for job hunters (if you’re not there, you simply do not exist to most recruiters and savvy employers)

9.     Sell money at a discount -- tell employers how you can make or save more money than you’re asking for in salary

10.  Remember “No” simply means “Not today” -- it does not mean “Never call us again”

11.  Target employers precisely -- when reading your cover letter, employers should think, “Hey! This is all about me!”

12.  When in doubt, do the opposite-- be suspicious of what “everybody” else is doing: “everybody” waits for jobs to be advertised before contacting employers, “everybody” emails their resume, “everybody” knows you don’t have to mail a paper thank-you note after an interview … so, how’s that working for everybody?

Now go enjoy the Holidays!  America is slowly dragging it self out of this economic mess and 2010 looks to be a banner year for hiring!

David

Article by David E. Perry, author of Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters and the Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters Blog. and Kevin Donlin, creator of Guerrilla Search International.

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The 12 Days of Christmas Job Hunting 2010: Day 7

{Hummed to the tune "The 12 Days of Xmas}

On the 7th day of Christmas - Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters 2.0 revealed to me -

“Seven Social Networks”

 

The key to expanding your network and finding job leads is, of course, to add more people to your network. Fortunately, the Internet has made it easier than ever to meet more people – and you never have to leave your keyboard!

I’d like to tell you about seven of the best online networking sites. Each is based on the “six degrees of separation” principle – you’re never more than six contacts away from any person you want to meet, anywhere on earth, including Kevin Bacon.

Check out these sites if you want to “e-network” your way to a new job …

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MySpace and Facebook are several magnitudes larger than the largest job boards and LinkedIn – combined.  If MySpace were a country it would be the 5^th largest in the world by population.  Facebook has undergone similar growth and don’t think for a moment this hasn’t gone unnoticed by recruiters who are always trying to find people who don’t want to be found by conventional methods.  In fact, there are multiple courses on line which expressly teach recruiters how to find whomever they need using MySpace and Facebook.  So a little known secret... MySpace and Facebook have a lot of their jobs fed to them by SimplyHired.com  so it you want to tap into Facebook and MySpace for jobs without setting up a profile.. go to

SimplyHired.com   Linkedin.com – From a headhunter’s standpoint, LinkedIn has it all. It is the opportunity of a lifetime to establish a powerful network of influential colleagues and friends – can you tell it’s one of my favorites? Free to use, Linkedin.com first requires you to set up a profile, then invite your friends to join your network. After those people join, they can ask their friends and colleagues to join, etc., etc. For job hunters this can produce a treasure trove of leads.

Classmates – This may be the grand daddy of online networking sites. At Classmates.com, you can join a network of alumni who share an affinity with you – they went to the same school (high school, college or university), or were in the same military branch, industry or company. The challenge, when finding potential contacts, is that you must search by state. But, if you want to reconnect specifically with people you went to school with, Classmates is the way to go.

ExecuNet – If you make $100,000 or more in salary, this networking venue is for you. ExecuNet was founded 18 years ago as the premier networking web site. They make it easy for senior-level professionals to connect directly with business decision-makers, executive recruiters, and peers. Not is this site chock full of helpful advice that’s not found anywhere else, they also host well-known speakers and authors. Of course, I’m biased because founder Dave Opton wrote the foreword for my book, Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters.

Here are two more networking sites with benefits too numerous to list. The first one you’re absolutely not supposed to know about unless you’re a headhunter so I wouldn’t go and join...

6 Degrees from Dave – this Dave is Dave Mendoza the ubber connector A classic social engineer Dave’s network spans the globe.  Dave’s a wealth of information and his site is too.  Want to know how to maximize LinkedIn.  Dave’s the guy to know.    Want to connect with the LinkedIn LIONs?  Dave’s your guy.   And so it goes.  Want to know what’s hot in recruiting...   

Spoke -- Great for connecting with sales people of all types and Fortune 1000 companies in particular. Sales people, by the way, are great resources for job hunters – they’re naturally outgoing and often willing to help. This site boasts more than 30 million contacts and 900,000 companies.                                                                                                                   Double bonus! Here are two more sites to help grow your network … The Social Networking Web Log is loaded with tips to help you reach inside target companies.

Quintessential Careers isn’t a social network. OK, so sue me. But it should be on your networking read, especially if you’re a college grad. There’s an encyclopedia’s worth of advice there. 

Article by David E. Perry, author of Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters and the Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters Blog. Kevin Donlin, also contributed.

 

 

The 12 Days of Christmas Job Hunting 2010: Day 2

{Hummed to the tune "The 12 Days of Xmas}

On the second day of Christmas - Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters 2.0 revealed to me - "Two strategies to crack the hidden job market.."

 

Click HERE for FREE DVD that gets you hired - “New Job Search Secrets"

You know, most people put more time into writing down a shopping list for the grocery store than a list of employers they want to work for. Totally illogical, isn’t it? I mean, why be happy working just anywhere? Why not work for a company that excites you?

Instead of blindly sending out résumés to companies you’ve never heard of before, it’s far better to first select potential employers that meet YOUR criteria and then contact them with an offer to help.

Which is what you’re going to learn to do today.  And one of the ways to do that is with Google.

To get the best results focus all your time and effort on the companies you’ve identified as being the Tier 1 buyers of your product - you.  Anything else is a waste of your time, energy and money.  Target your campaign at those companies where you know you can help solve a problem.  Nothing beats a direct approach for speed and accuracy.

Because of the current recession caused by the sub-prime meltdown, employers have different hiring expectations. The direct approach has replaced networking as the best way to break into the hidden job market.
 
The hidden job-market isn’t really hidden.  It’s just not in plain sight.  It’s referred to as the hidden job-market because of the way jobs are created and filled.  Most jobs are created in a company in one of three ways. 
1.     The company is growing;
2.     Someone quits, leaving a vacancy; or
3.     Someone is being replaced and the employer doesn’t want the employees to know about it.
 
When the company is growing, the owner, president, or someone else may know they need to hire but haven’t initiated the process.  They may not have had the time.  They may not quite have the budget.  They may not want to go through the hassle of advertising and interviewing.  So while the need is real, the job itself remains hidden inside the hiring manager’s head. 

When someone quits, managers will first decide if they can eliminate the job, or combine it with another position.   Needing a new person, they will look inside their organization to see whom they can promote into the role.  If they can’t find anyone they’ll likely ask their co-workers for referrals.  If that doesn’t work, depending on the size of the company they may opt to run an ad through HR, or hire a head-hunter.  

Companies will contact a head-hunter when secrecy is required because “loose-lips-sink-ships” and the recruiter can conduct a search without anyone ever knowing.
In all of these cases, the job remains hidden to the outside world for weeks if not months.  Hence the term “hidden” job-market. 

And TODAY the ability for job hunters to “click and apply” for every job they see on the internet has given employers good reason to NOT let it be known n they have an opening.  The onslaught of emails, phone calls and resumes that result from an advertised position is enough to CRUSH an HR department.

The only way for you to access the hidden job-market successfully is to reach out to the hiring managers directly before they opt to go the advertising or HR route OR ask their buddies for referrals.  The hidden job-market is your private laboratory to test out the best methods for finding your dream job.  Now let’s look at two of the Top 10 Strategies Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters use to access the hidden job market.
 

Job Search Strategy # 1 – Targeted Research 

One quick way to discover new opportunities is by doing structured search engine queries. And it’s fairly easy to do.   The video above gives you a good overview of how to do it for yourself:

Step #1

Develop a target list of companies you want to work for.  That list of companies is your baseline query for your search.   Now, here’s how you get the list.  The video above is an example using Google.com in which the job hunter want sto work in advertising in New York City.  {You  just do what I'm doing BUT substitute your industry parameters.}

1.     When you do targeted research, generally you concentrate on an industry or a geographic preference (in this case, New York City).  Substitute your city for your search. 

2.     You need to find the names of all the advertising companies in New York.  There are easy ways to do this using the Net.  Go to Google. www.google.com and type the following words in the “advanced” option box in Google.  The search string shown below instructs Google to search for a directory of advertising firms in New York or a conference on advertising held in New York.  We want this list to garner leads for companies.

Your text needs to be filled in exactly the way I did in the video. 
 
My search returned many hits including one for AD:TECH  “The Event for Interactive Marketing”.  This is a conference held in New York for the Advertising industry.  There where also hits for directories of advertising companies in New York, complete with web site addresses, phone numbers, and profiles of the owners.

Step #2 Find People Who Can Hire You:

Once you have a target list of companies to work with, you need to find out who the people are in those companies that can actually hire you.  A good headhunter would pick up the telephone. You might not be so inclined, so here’s another way to accomplish your objective.

Go to each company’s web site and gather the names of the people who can say yes.  Those people are the executives not the human resource people – they can only say NO! unless you’re a human resources professional.  If you’re lucky, every web site will identify their senior executives, including names, titles, phone numbers, career summaries and sometimes email and photos!  Web information should be up-to-the-minute accurate, but I would call the receptionist and confirm it.   

For this example I’m looking for a sales position.  Therefore I’ll seek to locate or research the VP of Sales, VP Sales & Marketing, VP Marketing or General Manager. You would focus your research on the functional areas of interest for your search.

If you’re experiencing difficulty finding names on the site, then go back to Google’s advanced search box and type in the company name in the first box and (Vice President Sales Marketing Director)in the third box.  By-the-way, you don’t need to place the words in brackets and don’t put in any commas or punctuation. 

That search string will bring you:
All the people who are, or have ever been, VPs OR President OR Directors of Sales and/or Marketing for that company.
The resumes of a whole pile of people from that company whom you may be able to phone to coax information from them.

OR

You can skip all that and use LinkedIn, Spoke, or ZoomInfo

Once you have the name of the individual who is one rung up the ladder from the job you want, you need to process their name through Google again.  This time you put their first and last name in the first box and the company name in the third box.

This will produce a list of press releases, and news articles in which they are mentioned, as well as conferences they’ve attended.  Read an article or two and clip something memorable to use in a  NarrowCast letter.

When you send them the letter, you’ll be able to say.  “I read your article in… about… which prompted me to write.”  Very powerful.
 

Job Search Strategy #2 – Targeted Networking

Today networking can either be the shortest route to your dream job or a lengthy series of unsatisfying lunches – the difference lies in how you approach it.  Let me show you how a Guerrilla job-hunter would network.  The easiest way is to learn how to network like a Headhunter.  I suggest you download for

The 12 Days of Christmas Job Hunting 2010: Day 1

{Hummed to the tune "The 12 Days of Xmas}

On the first day of Christmas - Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters 2.0 revealed to me - "A Plan with Clarity..."

Click HERE for FREE DVD that gets you hired - “New Job Search Secrets"

The best advice you'll ever receive is  start your job hunt with absolute clarity. All of the best job search advice in the world can be boiled down to three steps:

1. decide what job you want;
2. tell the right hiring authority about it;
3. prove to them you’re the one to hire.

Pretty simple summation of the facts.  Create a plan that is clear and detailed in every way --- then give it some panache!

If you want to get hired you have to get noticed.  You have to raise your voice above the crowd to be heard.  So when everyone else is doing more of the same - things that aren't working - you have to be more focused.  Your job search needs to be focused and very clear.

It must also be:

• Clever,
• Results driven,
• Marketing oriented,
• Inexpensive to execute,
• Realistic, and
• Achievable.

Clever - That’s because the most qualified job hunter is rarely the one who gets hired. The positions[s] invariably go to the person who does the best job at positioning themselves as the solution to an employer’s problem. Often the employer doesn’t realize they have a problem and it’s your job to bring that to their attention.

Results driven - You must measure your progress. You need to do this so that you’ll understand how close you are to achieving your goal and stay motivated and committed to your plan. Measuring requires tracking the metrics which drive you to your finish line. Here are a few of the dozens of proven tactics Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters shows you how to measure:

• How many out of the box activities have you deployed?
• How many you’re sending out,
• How many guerrilla networking activities you’re engaged in.

Marketing oriented - Because the market is geared toward those who effectively brand and market themselves as the ultimate commodity across multiple distribution channels. Winning the War for Talent requires you to become great at guerrilla marketing yourself. Looking for a job is a sales and marketing activity where you’re the product.

Inexpensive - In 1997, Tom Peters introduced the concept of “Brand U” in his book Re-Imagine! At the time, self-branding was an assertive marketing concept best reserved for high-flying techies and senior executives who wanted to maximize the financial returns of their biggest asset—their career. Today personal branding is a matter of survival. Here’s how Tom McAlister turned himself into a comic book hero and landed a job.

Realistic - Knowing what you want to do is great. Combining that with what you’re ‘qualified” to do is the secret. You may be pleasantly surprised at how your current skill-set maps to other industries. For a clear picture of what’s possible to do with your skill-set I suggest you visit America’s Career InfoNet. If you’re not qualified for what you want to do get moving and determine how you can become qualified. In my 20+ years of executive recruiting the biggest problem I’ve run into is that people aren’t realistic – especially job hunters who are unemployed. If this describes you - STOP!  You’re setting for disappointment if you apply for jobs you’re not qualified to do. Sometimes you may have to take a temporary step backwards to move forward in a new career BUT the sooner you start, the sooner you’ll hit your goal. If this even remotely applies to you then you need to make one New Years Resolution – and it’s to yourself – I will check out America’s Career InfoNet.

Achievable - Knowing the exact title and function of the future role you want gives you a realistic goal with no excuses. Get specific. The more detailed the better.

For example, I’ll bet you Vicky Vlachakis new exactly what she wanted to do and who she wanted to work for before she started her job search. When the opportunity came along to design the new two-seater convertibles for Saturn and Chrysler she recognized her chance to knock not one - but two home runs - out of the park!  You can be that focused too.

Nothing is more important to your success than a clear “picture” of your goal. If you can envision your dream job AND you’re qualified to do it then you can find it. With a specific goal in mind you can organize your job search and networking efforts with a laser like focus. Yes some people are lucky and fall into great jobs but luck [as Tom Peters says] is so unpredictable.

The dramatic changes we’re witnessing in the marketplace mean that the tried-and-true methods of finding a job will no longer suffice. Those old ways should remain a part of your plan, however by themselves they don’t provide the horsepower to get the heightened attention of employers.

Clarity of purpose is both energizing and enabling.

Click HERE for FREE DVD that gets you hired - “New Job Search Secrets Get You Hired”

Corporate Heroes - FlightNetwork.com

The recession is a Game Changer for millions of unemployed people. 

You'd have to be living under a rock not to notice the changes in the job market. 

Now finally a few corporations are coming to the rescue of job hunters.  Hat's off to FlightNetwork.com  who have been offering job hunters discounts on flights for job interviews.

Of course doing so is smart business because eventually job hunters become job holders and will remember their generosity and thoughtfulness.  

Let's hope others follow Naman Budhdeo's lead and embrace future customers in this manner.

David Perry

Desperate times call for ... creativity!!

Lee Silber is one of my favorite authors.  [Yes writers have favorite authors as too.]  I've always  enjoyed Lee's books because he makes sense.  He's just downright practical. 

Lee has nothing to do with the "employment market".  He's not a resume writer or job search coach.  I want you to read a piece he wrote talking about ordinary people like you and me who did something creative to get noticed. 

Lee's piece features among others the story of the Johnson brothers (Johnson & Johnson), Dave Matthews Band, The Grateful Dead, Kathy Najimy, Sara McLachlan, and Helmut Lang.  All of whom were desperate and responded by doing something different. {I'll give you a link to the article soon enough but I have something to say first.}

Why do I want you to read about something that's not job hunting related?

Because desperate times call for - CREATIVITY.  And the job search industry needs to stop writing in their client's resumes that they're "creative, entrepreneurial, different" and show them how to actually demonstrate that with their resume and their approach to job hunting.  Because desperate times call for - CREATIVITY.

Why do so many authors preach from on high that there's only one way to do things and that's their way?

Resume writing is a good example.  There are hundreds of books on resume writing and thousands of online resume writers who've had at least one of their resumes published in one of those books.  The accepted format of black text on white paper hasn't changed for years.  Okay, some suggest "cream" colored paper.  Yippee! 

Boring!

Just like your old B&W television.

I ditched my black & white television years ago.  Why?  Come on... color brings action to life.  You know that.  And sports in High Definition is so much more real.  Rock concerts in stereo or surround-sound makes you feel like your there. No what I mean!

Why then, do you persist in writing resumes like your grandfather did? 

Oh yeah, sorry, granddad only worked at one company.  He lived in a century where you worked for one company all your life. 

That's so 2000 and late! 

The old social contract between employee and employer - do a good job for the company and we'll take care of you - got shredded decades ago.  You're now referred to as "human capital", as if you can be moved around the shop-room floor in order to maximize your employers revenues.

You can't take your employment for granted anymore.  You know you have to actively manage your brand to stay "top of mind" and fully employed.  You have to become a master marketer, able stick out and being found.

So if You need to become a master marketer to keep an edge, I have to ask...

Why hasn't the resume writing industry kept up? 

They don't type your perfect resume on manual typewriters anymore.  So what's up? Who says you must have a 2-3 page resume consisting of black text on white paper? Your mother? Neighbor? Best friend?  HR? The resume consultant you found on the Internet?

Who???

Authors and wannabee anything-but-a-resume-writer-but-couldn't-get-another-job-but-this-one-rewriting-resumes... that's who. 

Come on! Seriously now, they have to tow the company line.   They sell books based on their methods or the methods of some other guru.  They have to sell books and encourage their resume and job search coaching clients to parrot the guru's methods to make a living.  That's how they make a living and it is a very big business indeed.

How's your black & white industry accepted perfect resume working for you? 

Got a lot of calls this week?  Go on a lot of interviews?  Have to turn down any offers because they just weren't quite perfect?

Sorry, I didn't think so. 

But it's not you.  It's not your fault.  It's your resume. 

You're brilliant! Spectacular! An achievement based mover and shaker!  But your resume makes you look like all the rest. So I have to ask...

When are you going to break away from the pack and try something new and innovative?

Are you going to wait until your car gets repossessed?  You lose your house?  Your spouse? Or worse your TV?  When your "social assistance" gets cut off? When!

What's it going to take to jolt you out of your doing-the-same-thing comfort level? 

Before they take away your color TV and you have to bring the B&W one up out of the basement I want you to read Lee's Q&A section on his web site.  I'll give you the link in a moment. 

Aren't you a write too Dave?

Yes.  And by-the-way "Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters 2.0" is my 3rd book.  But NO, I  don't tour around the country selling books for a living.  I don;t write resumes for aliviing and I certainly don;t coach job hunters for a living.

I'm a Head-hunter.  One of America's best - the Wall Street Journal said so nicknaming me the Rogue Recruiter last year - you can read about it on my web site www.perrymartel.com.  I have made my living as a professional recruiter for more than 20 years. 

I may be a simple head-hunter but I know exactly what it takes to get noticed and get hired.  AND it isn't a dull boring resume.  People get hiored when they get in front of an employer and make a case for themselves.  So, it's You telling them what you're going to do for them...

And you can't get in front of an employer anymore with conventional thinking.  Need more?  Get your copy of this free audio CD i did with Mark Haluska  and Kevin Donlin here: www.gm4jh.com

Now, as promised here is the link to Lee's site and this article: http://www.leesilber.com/HTML/Free_Readers_Write.htm

Please read it. Be inspired.  Go be creative!  Get a job you love and then help others breakaway from the ordinary.. because desperate times call for - CREATIVITY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

David Perry

Managing Partner Perry-Martel international Inc. and co-author, Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters 2.0

Landed a six figure job in one week - Thanks to concepts in this book!

Landed a six figure job in one week - Thanks to concepts in this book!, September 26, 2009 By  William Mccausland Guerrilla Marketing for Job Huners 2.0 is a "must have" from those thinking of a career change or the hopelessly unemployed. Take it from me a white collar automotive professional living in the state with the highest unemployment, I found success in one week with the concepts in this book to land a higher paying position than the job that I was laid off from 90 days earlier. After reading and applying the ideas from other career changing self-help books, I was not making headway. This is the most up to date current resource to address the issues that are unique in today's economy. When there are 1,000 applicants for a single job, how do you position yourself to be one of the few to be selected for the interview? The answer is in this book regardless if you are looking for an entry-level position or your mid-career professional looking in the six-figures this is the resource for you. David Perry, author, goes one-step further and unlocks the secrets of how recruiters operate and how to land a job / career where there is no job posting. This is how I landed my job where I did not have to compete with others for consideration. This book explains, illustrates and demonstrates when everyone is zigging you need to be zagging. It is fun to read and real life examples of the principles in action. After you do land the interview with this book, it shows you how to handle the interview and negotiate the compensation. During my period of unemployment, there were so many people who attempted to take advantage of me with big $$$ commitments that make claims on getting you a job fast. All you need is this book, Guerrilla Marketing 2.0 for under $20.

I'm not getting any response from recruiters after I contact them with my resume ! (Part 2)

 

* It could be the case that your resume and cover letter looks like everyone else’s. In a word boring. My time is limited and the only non-renewable resource I have. Therefore, like all the other executive search professionals I know in North America your resume has 30 seconds or less to impress me. If your resume and cover letter grab my attention, it would be because you’ve gone above and beyond what most job seekers do to clearly show me your value proposition. Doing so would prompt me to call you as soon as possible !

You asked about follow up and how. I would suggest you do so, and the phone should to the trick; but be mindful of the fact that the recruiter does not work for you as s/he is not on your payroll. Even if you feel justified in giving him/her a piece of your mind because of the time it has taken to reach that recruiter, be on your best behavior otherwise your resume will end up in the shredder before the phone conversation is over. Putting your best foot forward and making a call every couple of weeks, if just to leave a voice mail should eventually result in contact with the recruiter.

Your question does not hint at what your profession is, but I would suggest that you seek out a few recruiters who specialize in your field as they are most likely to be the people who may have something for you and if not, they may know another recruiter who does. If the recruiter belongs to a split network such as Top Echelon (www.topechelon.com) he/she will be highly motivated to share you with another recruiter because the fee would be split between them should you be hired.

One final suggestion is to use Google. Suppose you were in Human Resources. Simply go to the Google search bar and type in “recruiters who specialize in human resources.” That will result in 10,100,000 results. The above search string works for any profession.

Once you have checked out some of the firms who specialize in your area expertise reach out to some of them. Try one or two local ones first but don’t feel hesitant to talk with other firms hundreds or thousands of miles away. As long as they specialize in your field is all that matters.

Hopefully I have answered your questions. By following the advice I’ve “hinted” at herein, recruiters will get back with you.

Best of luck with your job search !

For information on corporate sponsored outplacement services, career coaching, resume assistance, the Guerrilla Job Seeker10 week boot camp, or if you would prefer personal one-on-one Guerilla job search assistance, contact me at: [email protected] or contact my office at 724-495-2733.

Mark J. Haluska
Founder and Executive Director of
Real Time NetWork
www.rtnetwork.net

• I’m a Contributing Co-Author of the best selling book, “Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters,” 400 Unconventional Tips, Tricks and Tactics for Landing your Dream Job. Released in 2005

• I’m also a Contributing Co-Author of "Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters 2.0," 1,001 Unconventional Tips, Tricks and Tactics for Landing your Dream Job. Released in June 2009

• I'm one of only 4 certified "Guerrilla Job Search Boot Camp" Instructors in North America

• Recommended reading for Corporate Hiring Authorities: “Executive Recruiting for Leaders,” Insider Secrets for Locating, Evaluating and Retaining Top Talent by David Perry and Mark J. Haluska 

 

 

 

I'm not getting any response from recruiters after I contact them with my resume ! (Part 1)

Question:

I'm not getting any response from recruiters after I contact them with my resume. What does this mean? Should I follow up? If so, how?

Answer:

There could be a number of reasons why the recruiters are not getting back with you regarding your credentials, here are just some of them in this two part series.

• Unlike the days before this current recession when most executive recruiters were snowed under with new search assignments; in the here and now, recruiters are besieged with unsolicited resumes from hopeful job seekers. At the same time owners at many of these firms have cut back on staff due to the significant slow down in hiring by their clients. In many cases, there simply is not enough staff and as a result, time in the day to respond (via mail or by phone) to every job seekers plea for a professional attention.

• As I stated above, the number of active search assignments recruiters have on their desk has by-and-large dropped off significantly in the last year. In fact so much so, it’s driving many firms out of business. In most cases, with what assignments recruiters do have right now, there is a glut of candidates. So, before the recruiter calls you, they are combing through their data base of candidates to see if there is a fit with someone they “already know to be a proven winner.” If that does not pan out, then the recruiter usually starts looking at the unsolicited resumes to hopefully find a candidate that appears to be a potential fit for their client.

• Perhaps the recruiters you are contacting simply do not have any job orders as to where, based on your resume, there is an “exact fit.” "EXACT FIT" are the operative words here and never forget that when working with a recruiter. Therefore, some recruiters will feel there is no reason to call you at this time. Then too, many recruiters may not contact you to acknowledge your resume for that “exact fit” reason. Could one consider that rude ? I suppose so, but with staffs being cut back, there is more to do with less people to do the work so the firm is prioritizing their call back list. That list is comprised only of people who can help the firm earn a fee today !

*****************************************************************************************
Due to space limitations herein I have to go for now, but be sure to join me in the next day or so for Part 2 of this answer. I hope Part 1 has been beneficial and has provided you with a little bit of insight.

For information on corporate sponsored outplacement services, career coaching, resume assistance, the Guerrilla Job Seeker10 week boot camp, or if you would prefer personal one-on-one Guerilla job search assistance, contact me at: [email protected] or contact my office at 724-495-2733.

Mark J. Haluska
Founder and Executive Director of
Real Time NetWork
www.rtnetwork.net

• I’m a Contributing Co-Author of the best selling book, “Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters,” 400 Unconventional Tips, Tricks and Tactics for Landing your Dream Job. Released in 2005

• I’m also a Contributing Co-Author of "Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters 2.0," 1,001 Unconventional Tips, Tricks and Tactics for Landing your Dream Job. Released in June 2009

• I'm one of only 4 certified "Guerrilla Job Search Boot Camp" Instructors in North America !

• Recommended reading for Corporate Hiring Authorities: “Executive Recruiting for Leaders,” Insider Secrets for Locating, Evaluating and Retaining Top Talent by David Perry and Mark J. Haluska

How to get employers to read your resume and call you for an interview

Did you know that your first impression with an employer is not the first 5 minutes of your interview—it’s the first 3 seconds when they  look at your resume. Does yours include a statement  that’s so powerful it transforms their initial scan into a lengthy read and a direct call to you?

It must.   If you can't cause an employer to stop dead in the middle of their first cup of coffee you won't get that call.  No call.  no interview.  No job offer.  Job hunting is that simple! 

Intuitively you know that looking for a job is a sales and marketing activity.  Is your resume the best it can be?  Is it designed to be used as a marketing tool? 

Yes, your resume needs to be a reflection of your past experience but it also needs to represent you as a unique individual who can contribute value to the employer. 

Does your resume convey who you are as an individual?  Because face it, personality counts just as much as your credentials - especially in an ultracompetitve job market.

In today’s post Wall Street credit crunch - bank failure - meltdown world, you need to create a resume that makes you get noticed.  This is especially true if you're a victim of the latest meltdown or at all involved with the mortgage finance business.  [Wachovia, Bear Sterns, Washington Mutual, Merrill Lynch Lehman Brothers American International Group

 

You Inc. — Extreme Resume Makeovers 2009 will show you how to stand out from the crowd and make that difference. Within these 78 pages you'll find two real life makeovers and 25 other 1 page Guerrilla Resumes which landed each of it's owner a well paying job.  Often in as little as a week.

A Guerrilla Job Hunter's

resume is like lingerie 

- its only purpose

is to solicit an invitation

to discover

more...

 

 

All 25 resumes were written by me - David Perry - personally.  there are two of them included in my book Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters  The other 25 in You Inc. — Extreme Resume Makeovers are unique to this offer.

So why should you care about who I am and what I know?  Well, I can tell you I'm one of North America's most successful headhunters and have personally negotiated more than 994 deals totaling $174M over the last 22 years OR you can read this article from the Wall Street Journal on some of the Guerrilla Marketing techniques which I use in my own business AND then the reviews on my book Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters.

OR you can stop wasting time with a resume you know doesn't work and invest in yourself.  if you're willing to live with out Starbucks for a week you can afford an ecopy of You Inc. — Extreme Resume Makeovers 2009

 

- David Perry

Perry-Martel International Inc. www.perrymartel.com

co-author Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters www.gm4jh.com

Guerrilla Resumes Halloween Sale

An entertaining video with a serious offer for people who are struggling to have their resume standout in a sea of competition.  click here for video