“Six candidates were interviewing for a sales position in Atlanta with an exclusive company that had just received about $83 million in funding,” says Ron McManmon, a former recruiter and Executive VP of Careeradex.com. Five candidates were “top gun” sales people who all came from industry leaders – and then there was Tony. He was young, with about five years of experience. But Tony was highly motivated and willing to go the extra mile.

In his job interview, Tony not only mapped his accomplishments out on a PowerPoint presentation, he also demonstrated that he had already started working for the company. He did this by researching, assembling, and bringing with him a list of sales leads and contacts. His presentation consisted of past, present AND future. The other candidates did nothing like this.

Did it work?

“Tony was hired over five more-experienced candidates,” says McManmon.

2) Start work BEFORE the interview – Part 2

This example is near and dear to my heart – it’s how I landed a job with a marketing communications firm back in the 1990s, when I worked for other people.

After mailing in my resume, I was called by a receptionist to schedule an interview. During our conversation, I asked if she could send me back issues of their corporate publications. I explained that I wanted to research the writing styles of the magazines and newsletters I would be editing if I got the job.

She immediately agreed, and had a nice package of materials couriered over to me the same day.

It turned out to be a gold mine.

I found three typos in one back issue of a magazine I would be proofreading in the position I was interviewing for. Here was proof I could do the job. Two days later at the interview, the subject of proofreading skills came up. I pulled out the magazine (with post-it notes marking the typos) and said: “I’ve been researching your publications and found these three errors. I can improve your image by preventing this kind of thing from happening again.”

They hired me.

3) Start work AFTER the interview

This lesson in perseverance is a variation on the first story, about the candidate who brought a list of sales leads to his job interview.

“Robin, a woman from Los Angeles, had been interviewing with the same company for three months. She felt she was a perfect for the position, but the hiring manager was not responsive — he wouldn’t tell her yes or no about a decision to hire her,” says Ron McManmon.

So Robin called McManmon to discuss her dilemma. His advice?

“I suggested that she REALLY demonstrate her skills to the hiring manager.

I encouraged her to call 100 potential customers and ask them, ‘Would you be interested in looking at a technology that would solve your problem with X and save you XX amount of dollars??? says McManmon.

The next day, Robin walked into the manager’s office, put her contact list on his desk and said, “I’ve already started working for you. In fact, I have 100 customers who are interested in your technology.”

What happened next?

“Robin was hired on the spot,” says McManmon.

Final thoughts

Your lesson: these three examples illustrate a common point.

Do whatever you can to research your target company and “start working” for them before you’re hired. It’s one thing to claim you can do the job. It’s quite another — and much more powerful — to prove it.

Now, go out and create your own luck!

source: http://www.theundercoverrecruiter.com/content/3-ways-prove-you-are-perfect-candidate

Post from: Official Manhattan Group Blog

3 Ways to Prove You Are the Perfect Candidate

MISTAKE #1: Outdated formatting

The first impression your resume gives is critical. How do you want the hiring manager to perceive you? Professional and accomplished? Or sloppy and disorganized? Old and outdated formats only reflect poorly on you as a viable candidate for the position.

MISTAKE #2: Using an objective

If your resume has an objective, please remove it. That is an outdated practice that is no longer relevant in today’s job market. Objectives will only land you in the “bland, just like everyone else” pile—not the “oh yeah, don’t let me forget to call them today” pile.

MISTAKE #3: Forgetting important keywords

Don’t forget to use industry specific keywords. Also, make sure you know where to place them. The top section of the resume is the best place because that’s where the hiring manager’s eyes will be drawn. Short keywords are a great way to tell the employer about your expertise.

MISTAKE #4: Length and text density

Too long or too short and you’ve lost your hiring manager. Keep paragraphs to 3-5 sentences—and the same goes for the number of bullets you use in your resume. Why? Any longer and you lose the audience in information overload—any shorter and you appear under qualified.

MISTAKE #5: Listing responsibilities instead of accomplishments

The hiring manager doesn’t want your resume to be an exact replica of the job ad. He already knows what he needs. What he needs to know is how you’re going to meet their needs. Utilize statements that demonstrate your expertise and accomplishments in a given area. Certainly there was a challenge you faced while working for your current or previous employers. How did you address these challenges and what were the results? The answers to these questions make for GREAT bullet points on a resume.

source: http://www.greatresumesfast.com/blog/2010/06/21/five-mistakes-job-seekers-make-on-their-resumes/

Post from: Official Manhattan Group Blog

Five Mistakes Job Seekers Make on Their Resumes

Stand Out With Your Strengths

London-based economist and business strategist Vaughan Evans calls this best-foot forward approach the “Madonna method” because the pop diva has maintained her stardom by doing what she does best: constantly reinventing herself to keep up with the zeitgeist.

“The ideal situation is if your strengths are those strengths needed by your organization, and you invest further in them — then you’re in a terrific position, and you’re immune from layoffs,” says Evans, author of “Backing U! A Business-Oriented Guide to Backing Your Passion and Achieving Career Success.”

But given today’s far-from-ideal economic climate, Evans recommends having several fallback strategies to ride out the bad times and get ready for a recovery.

The Lower-Cost Approach

Under this scenario, you reduce your “cost” to your employer by agreeing to a salary cut, accepting an unpaid furlough, or switching to a four-day week.

“It’s the Southwest Airlines strategy — you make yourself indispensable based on price,” Evans says. “It can be a strategy for success, but it also can be a strategy for survival in hard times like now.”

How to ‘Sharpen Your Act’

If you find your skills don’t match well with your current position or your employer’s core business, your long-term goal should be to determine your true passions and find a job that suits them.

But in the near term’s difficult market, Evans suggests addressing any weaknesses simply to hold onto your job until conditions improve. This might entail taking classes or getting specialized training.

“In today’s world with 10 percent unemployed, you’re not going to take a risk of going on the open job market,” Evans says. “This could be a valuable strategy for survival.”

The Hybrid Approach

Sometimes a new set of circumstances can dictate a temporary change in career strategy.

For example, you may have been cruising along in a marketing position that tapped your abilities as a writer and strategist. Then you get a promotion that adds one of your major weaknesses — a lack of good public speaking skills — to your job description. What to do?

“The rules of the game have changed, and you would be well-advised to sharpen your act” by getting some speech training, Evans says.

Passion Rules

Whatever strategy you adopt, each points to the need for every worker to find his or her passion — and build a career around it.

“It’s generally accepted that people whose job is actually their passion perform incomparably better than those who just do a job because it’s a job,” Evans says.

source: http://hotjobs.yahoo.com/career-articles-move_up_by_focusing_on_your_strengths-1077

Post from: Official Manhattan Group Blog

Move up by Focusing on Your Strengths

source:http://job-interview-skills.suite101.com/article.cfm/the-must-ask-interview-question

Post from: Official Manhattan Group Blog

The Must Ask Interview Question

Here are some ways to know you had a perfect job interview. However I want you to remember that a perfect interview does not equate you being hired. So I don’t want you to get your hopes up high. I just want you to know the signs so you don’t walk out wondering.

1. They smiled and gave you a lot of eye contact: Eye contact is always a GOOD thing. Never underestimate it and it is a great beginning signal.
2. The Interviewer talked to you like you already had the job: If they start talking about the upcoming projects and advising you what needs to be done. This is a good though not confirmed sign.
3. The interview opened up to a personal conversation with you as if you would meet again: They start talking about their kids and the work culture in a relaxed state. thats yet another sign.
4. The “for sure” phrase was used at the end of the interview: If they say “we will let you know for sure by….” this is a good sign of a perfect interview. Especially if they did this before you asked to followup with them.
5. They gave you a tour of where exactly you would be working: The tour would be after your interview. And a really good sign is if they do it unannounced.
6. Salary was confirmed and discussed: They want clarity on what your requesting. that is always a great sign when combined with the other 6 signs here.
7. You met the CEO and or department head: Hiring mangers are NOT introducing BAD hires to their boss or the department heads.
Though none of these again guarantee you the job you can still consider yourself closer to the prize. Think good thoughts and prepare for whatever the outcome may be.

source:http://ezinearticles.com/?7-Excellent-Ways-to-Know-You-Had-a-Perfect-Job-Interview&id=4723962

Post from: Official Manhattan Group Blog

7 Excellent Ways to Know You Had a Perfect Job Interview

How would your co-workers describe you?

The interviewer wants to find out if you have a good understanding of how you are perceived and how your behavior impacts on others. Your answer should demonstrate an objective view of your strengths and areas for improvement in terms of teamwork and your interpersonal skills.
In your job interview answer describe the good points and perceptions but also discuss one or two areas that you are aware need attention.
Emphasize what you have done to improve on these areas. This makes your answer both real and insightful.
When you refer to the positive characteristics, support your answer with a quote or paraphrase from one or two of your colleagues.
For example, “I know they considered me to be hard working. In fact, the other team members often thanked me for the extra hours I put in.”
Then move on to the areas for improvement.
“I know that I was initially considered intolerant if I felt they were not putting in the same amount of effort as I was. I realized it was better to encourage them to meet our deadlines by offering help where needed. This has worked much better for all of us.”
Use work-relevant words like good communicator, reliable, decisive, resilient, energetic, team member when answering top interview questions like this.

What motivates you in your job?

This is a personal trait, there is no right or wrong answer.
However, you need to prepare for this job interview question and note down some specific examples. It is often difficult to verbalize your motivation properly in the stressful context of a job interview.
There are many different motivators.
Challenge, achievement, recognition, learning opportunities, increased responsibility, coaching or mentoring others, team involvement and interaction, task complexity and variety are all possible answers to top interview questions about motivation.
Other interview questions will determine whether you have the skills for the job – can you do the job. With this question the interviewer is exploring whether you will be a good motivational fit with the job opportunity – will you want to do this job?
What does motivate you will depend on your background and work experiences, but try to make your motivation relevant to what this job can provide. For example if the job is a fairly isolated one do not give “working with other people” as a motivation! You can use this preparation as an opportunity to think about whether this position is really suitable for you in terms of motivational fit.
Here are some sample answers to top interview questions about your motivation to help you prepare your own answers:
“I am motivated by the challenge of difficult tasks and projects.My previous manager gave me more and more responsibility as I proved myself, I found this very motivating.”
“It is important for me to meet the customers needs. I give them the best service and when I exceed their expectations or get positive feedback it motivates me.”

Other Top Interview Questions:

What did you like/dislike most about your previous job?
How would you describe your manager/boss?
How do you define success in your job?
Describe your ideal job.
How do you handle conflict?
What has been the most difficult situation you have faced?

source: http://www.best-job-interview.com/top-interview-questions.html

Post from: Official Manhattan Group Blog

Top Interview Questions and Sample Answers

So the next time you’re submitting the same resume and cover letter that you haven’t altered since 50 applications ago, stop for a second; take a moment to customize the resume and cover letter to the job ad or position opening. I know it may take an extra 10-20 minutes now, but if it means standing out in a blurred sea of other applicants it will be well worth your time.

source: http://www.careerrocketeer.com/2010/06/one-size-resume-does-not-fit-all.html

Post from: Official Manhattan Group Blog

A One-Size Resume Does Not Fit All

I think I’m beginning to sound borderline preachy with my resume and cover letter advice. But I also feel I have a duty to share with job seekers the blunders and mistakes they make that prevent them from getting the interview and ultimately the offer. After ten years of working as a human resources manager and recruiter I’ve seen my fair share of job seeker mistakes. So here’s my list of the three biggest mistakes job seekers make on their resumes.

MISTAKE #1: Outdated formatting

The first impression your resume gives is critical. How do you want the hiring manager to perceive you?
Professional and accomplished? Or sloppy and disorganized? Old and outdated formats only reflect poorly on you as a viable candidate for the position. Not sure what a professional resume format looks like? Try reviewing samples developed by a certified resume writer.

MISTAKE #2: Using an objective

If your resume has an objective, please remove it. That is an outdated practice that is no longer relevant in today’s job market. Objectives will only land you in the “bland, just like everyone else” pile—not the “oh yeah, don’t let me forget to call them today” pile. Replace the old objective with a personal branding statement. Including a personal branding statement is one more way to stand out.

MISTAKE #3: Forgetting important keywords

Don’t forget to use industry specific keywords. Also, make sure you know where to place them. The top section of the resume is the best place because that’s where the hiring manager’s eyes will be drawn.

Short keywords are a great way to tell the employer about your expertise. Don’t forget to also place them strategically throughout the resume so you continue to catch the employer’s attention and communicate that you have the skills and experience they need.

source: http://www.careerrocketeer.com/2010/06/3-resume-mistakes-most-job-seekers-make.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+CareerRocketeer+(Career+Rocketeer+|+The+Career+Search+and+Personal+Branding+Blog+)&utm_content=Google+Reader

Post from: Official Manhattan Group Blog

3 Resume Mistakes Most Job Seekers Make

(For more resume tips, check out our interactive critique of an actual resume.)

1. Apply for a job for which you are not remotely qualified
Many candidates believe the job hunt is a numbers game — drop enough resumes, and you’re bound to land something. But shotguns are for hunting pheasant, not finding jobs. The reality is that recruiters hate wasting time on resumes from unqualified candidates. Morgan Miller, an executive recruiter at StaffMark, recalls the security guard who applied to be a financial risk manager (maybe Lehman should have hired him), while Scott Ragusa at Winter, Wyman talks of the aerial photographer who sought out a position as a tax specialist.

“Sorting through unqualified resumes is frustrating, unproductive and puts an extra burden on staff,” says Katherine Swift, Senior Account Director at KCSA Strategic Communications in Natick, Mass. “It also makes it much more challenging to find the right candidate.” So the next time you’re thinking of blasting out resumes to all 60 of the job listings on Monster.com that have the word “finance” in them , save your time (and that of the recruiters) and only apply for ones for which you’re qualified.

2. Include a lofty mission statement
More than ever, today’s savage job market is about the company, not the candidate. As such, mission or objective statements — particularly ones with an applicant’s hopes, dreams, and health insurance aspirations — will dispatch otherwise fine resumes to the circular file. Employers don’t care about how they can solve your problems — certainly not before they’ve met you and possibly not even after they’ve hired you. Instead, write an “objectives” statement that explains specifically how your skills and experience will help the company you’re applying to, not the other way around. And be very clear about what kind of job you’re seeking.

3. Use one generic resume for every job listing
To stand out amongst the sea of resumes that recruiters receive, yours must speak to each and every specific position, even recycling some of the language from the job description itself. Make it obvious that you will start solving problems even before you’ve recorded your outgoing voicemail message. Your CV or query letter should include a just touch of industry lingo — sufficient to prove you know your stuff but not so much that you sound like a robot. And it should speak to individual company issues and industry challenges, with specifics on how you have personally improved customer loyalty, efficiency, and profitability at past jobs, says workplace and performance consultant Jay Forte. Plus, each morsel should be on point.

“Think hard about how to best leverage each piece of information to your job search advantage,” says Wendy Enelow, a career consultant and trainer in Virginia. “Nothing in your resume should be arbitrary, from what you include in your job descriptions and achievement statements, to whether your education or experience comes first [recent grads may want to put education first] to how you format your contact information.”

4. Make recruiters or hiring managers guess how exactly you can help their client
Sourcing experts want to know — immediately — what someone can offer, and they won’t spend time noodling someone’s credentials. “Animal, vegetable or mineral? Doctor, lawyer or Indian chief?That’s what I’m wondering every time I open a resume. If it takes me more than a split second to figure this out, I feel frustrated,” says Mary O’Gorman, a veteran recruiter based in Brooklyn.

5. Don’t explain how past experience translates to a new position
Though candidates should avoid jobs where they have no experience, they absolutely should pursue new areas and positions if they can position their experience effectively. A high school English teacher applying for new jobs, for example, can cite expertise in human resource management, people skills, record keeping, writing, and training, says Anthony Pensabene, a professional writer who works with executives.

“Titles are just semantics; candidates need to relate their ‘actual’ skills and experiences to the job they’re applying for in their resume,” Pensabene says. An applicant who cannot be bothered to identify the parallels between the two likely won’t be bothered with interviews, either.

6. Don’t include a cover letter with your resume
A cover letter should always accompany a resume — even if it’s going to your best friend. And that doesn’t mean a lazy “I’m _____ and I’m looking for a job in New York; please see my attached resume.” Says Lindsay Olson, a partner at Manhattan’s Paradigm Staffing: “I’d like to know why you are contacting me (a particular position, referral, etc.), a short background about yourself, and a career highlight or two. It’s important to attempt to set yourself apart from the competition.”

7. Be careless with details
Reckless job hunters rarely make for conscientious workers. As such, even promising resumes must abide by age-old dictums: typo-free, proper organization, and no embellishment. Susan Whitcomb, author of Resume Magic: Trade Secrets of a Professional Resume Writer, says that almost 80 percent of HR managers she surveyed said they would dismiss otherwise qualified candidates who break these rules. She tells the story of one would-be employer who, when looking for an assistant, decided not to hire anyone because every resume she received contained typos.

“With a 6-to-1 ratio of jobseekers-to-jobs in the current marketplace, you can’t afford to make mistakes with your resume,” Whitcomb says.

source: http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/life/what-not-to-do-7-ways-to-ruin-your-resume-2009803/

Post from: Official Manhattan Group Blog

What NOT to do: 7 ways to ruin your resume

List every type of machinery, or work related equipment that the person has worked on or with. This will show the potential employer that the person is skilled in these fields. This includes vehicles as well. Make two even columns instead of one long column of the list of machinery.

List the most recent job, job description, and dates worked. Be specific on the description part. A potential employer wants to know that a person has a lot of skills and experience to be able to do the job. Type the job title first then space over to the right side of the page and put the dates worked. Put the actual beginning date or month when started and say “through current,” if still at the job. On the next line put the title that was held at the company and a description of duties. One cannot emphasize enough all the duties that have been done for the company. List the last three or four employers that the person has worked for in the same way.

List Education on the Resume

The next part of the resume will be about education. List the high school graduated from and date of graduation, as well as the college or technical school attended. Include all the degrees that have been acquired as well as scholastic awards won. This will enable the potential employer to see that a person is well educated in that field. Some potential employers will make it a requirement to see the degree stated on the resume.

The last part of the resume will be three references, listed on a separate sheet. These should be people who can vouch for a job seeker’s work ethic and attitude. Include the references’ names, addresses, titles and phone numbers to be reached at. The potential employer will most likely call the references before the candidate is hired.

Let the potential employer know what a great benefit it would be to have an employee with these qualifications work there.

source: http://writing-resumes.suite101.com/article.cfm/easy-format-on-how-to-write-a-resume

Post from: Official Manhattan Group Blog

Easy Format on How to Write a Resume