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For the job jaded

Soooo…what do YOU do?

Hi, there lovely readers,
Steve Jobs allegedly fired a staff member who was unable to articulate what he did for Apple during a shared elevator journey. Bit harsh I hear you say; but have you ever been asked that very question and wondered just what you’d say? No idea? Well, you’re not alone. Let me tell you a wee story.

My team and I delivered a series of career planning workshops for 250+ Qld employees in a global Fortune 500 company recently. Our mission? To help our attendees develop career strategies to drive both personal and business success.

Key elements included identifying what they offer and what they need in return. Strengthening their personal branding and social media marketing resources and developing sound networking campaigns. As well, determining their critical developmental needs, then building a robust strategy to drive their plan.

When it came to voicing what they actually do in words that would give their audience an idea of the value they offer, most fell short.

Now think about this. Given it costs a company $5M + for just one 30 second commercial in the US Superbowl, with a broadcast that attracts the largest audience globally, you’d want to get it right wouldn’t you? No second chance at a first impression there. And the same applies to us.

Whether in an elevator, at a networking event or meeting the boss for the first time, it’s helpful to have our own little 30-second spiel.

Here’s a simple formula:

This is who I am (your value proposition):

e.g. I’m a career specialist (my brand) – I help people develop and implement robust strategies to drive their personal and career success (my value)

This is what I do (summed up in a brief sentence):

e.g. I help them identify their ideal position, develop personal branding and social media marketing messages and create outcome-focused networking campaigns. All designed to build confidence to thrive in the world of work.

This is what I offer (a few key strengths):

e.g. I love developing, coaching, mentoring and leading my team to deliver to the best of their abilities. I’m good at adjusting my coaching style to meet my candidate’s needs. And I’m also known for my sound knowledge of social media and web-based marketing.

Now I suspect you are already thinking ‘I don’t like to talk about myself’. Hey, that’s common for us Aussies, given the whole ‘tall poppy’ thing. However! Confidence is king. And that comes from preparing and practising your commercial. Starting with those three little points:

  • This is who I am
  • This is what I do
  • This is what I offer

Go on. Give it a go!

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What’s the gos on cover letters?

Hi, there lovely readers! An avid reader who confessed to enjoying the blog’s job-related hints recently asked ‘Does anyone bother to read cover letters these days? You’ve not addressed them in your career management and job search posts, girl?’ Well now I have, read on!

As a career consultant always researching global best practice, I’ve identified that the biggest mistake many job hunters can make is to skip a cover letter when sending off a resume in response to an application. Cover letters can be influential, and a well-written one can grab an interview just on its own merit.

So why aren’t people writing cover letters? Some believe that companies don’t care about them or that, since they’re applying online, they’ll only need a resume. Interestingly some say they read only the cover letter while others go straight for the resume, and still more say they spend more time reviewing resumes and applications that carry a cover letter than ones than don’t. Well then, pays to write that goddamned cover letter don’t you think? Let’s look at what NOT to do first:

What NOT to do:

  • Don’t send a generic letter – it doesn’t work. In fact, it often turns the employer off for it tells them you didn’t make any effort to tailor your message specifically to the needs of the job, so why did you bother sending one? Oh! And given employers are rating your communication skills when they read your letter, if it is feeble, it diminishes your candidacy in their eyes.
  • Don’t lose them with your first sentence. Your first line either grabs the reader’s attention or loses it, so let’s avoid beginning with the overused standard – I’m applying for the … job I saw online.’ Boring. Another overused starting line is telling the company you think they are great and how much you want to work for them. Although this fact can be stated in the letter later – it’s too weak to open it. What’ more, it doesn’t help your prospective employer understand how you’ll contribute to their success with the actual skills they seek.

What TO do:

The opening:

A strong opening should immediately focus on filling the employer’s needs. The body of your letter should then serve as reinforcement. Try this:

1) Analyse the job — both the noted and assumed expectations — and determine the most critical skills the employer is seeking.

2) Immediately address how you will meet the employer’s needs by using that opening sentence to emphasise the major selling points and skills that you would bring to the job. One that offers actions and results – the winning formula that will have them taking notice. Look at the difference here:

 ‘I’m applying to the job opening I found on Seek.’ 

VERSUS

‘Ten years in senior management with proven expertise in international finance for a Fortune 100 company…’

‘Strong leadership in healthcare administration having improved customer service while reducing costs by 12%….’

These openers are eye-catching, designed to get the employer to see what you can do by addressing their needs right upfront. As the first paragraph is what they will read, it needs to have your strongest selling points in it.

The Body: 

Now you’ll want to demonstrate proof that you can perform the duties desired. To develop this ‘proof,’ outline the crucial points that the employer wants by underlining the most critical items from the job advertisement. 

Hint – Use your network to gather any inside information on what’s most important to that employer for that job. Many job openings are vaguely written or ask for too many skills when the employer only cares about a few. Networking can help you learn about what points to stress. 

And another hint (we’re on a roll here!) Tailor your resume content to the specifics you’ve highlighted in the job ad first. If you’ve included quantified achievements as they relate to the requirements you have (a) met the needs of the ‘I only read the resume’ crew and (b) already identified what you offer for summarising in the cover letter. Handy huh?  

Now, before you begin writing, ask yourself ‘What is it that they need me to do in this job to do it well?’ Then consider what you have done in your previous roles. It is this experience you want to emphasise.

The next step is to ask yourself: What were the RESULTS of my efforts on previous jobs, projects, or tasks that I’ve undertaken? The key to composing your letter lies in addressing the duties and skills needed by referencing your abilities to perform them, along with quantifiable results from your past efforts as proof that you CAN do the job. 

One more hint – using the criticals you highlighted in the job ad as headlines in your cover letter will help the reader connect your examples with the job’s requirements and make the content easier to navigate. Doing so will also help your application make it through the scan bots looking to find a 70%+ strike rate of keywords (see – that tailored resume came in handy, didn’t it?)

With the criticals addressed, you may have other ‘value add’ experiences or skills that further demonstrate the expertise they seek. E.g. living abroad for two years = international exposure or speaking more than one language = ability to communicate with a broader audience.

Finally, keep your letter concise. Keep the body of the message short, not more than one page. Conclude with the power phrase:  I would like to discuss in greater detail the valuable contributions I’d bring to your organisation.’ Ah! You’re a productive team player and focused on being an asset to the employer – nice!

In summary: Your cover letter must develop enough interest to get the employer to want to turn the page, look at your resume and say, ‘This one’s worth calling in for an interview, let’s do it!’

Good luck and remember –  you’ve got this!

 

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Now about that LinkedIn Summary…

Hey there lovely readers, how’s that LinkedIn profile looking now? Did you jump in and kick start or fine-tune the five primary areas of real-estate as discussed in my previous post? Well done! Now, given there are 610 million members on LinkedIn, you’ll be wanting to stand out now, won’t you? Well then – let’s refine the ‘About’ section – your very own personal advertisement.

Jobseeker?

Use the ‘About’ section to discuss your professional, technical and personal skills, your industry experience. Make sure the first sentence encapsulates your offer as this is the only sentence your reader sees. Make it memorable enough to encourage ‘click bate’, inspiring them to click ‘more’ and read on. Use bullet points for added emphasis as well as a short narrative describing your career and details on how to contact you (email address and phone number in international dialling format)

Passive jobseeker?

Start with ‘Specialist in….’ again discuss those professional, technical and personal skills and industry experience, coupled with a short narrative describing your career. Sign off with ‘Invitations to connect and enquiries welcome’ and details on how to contact you.

Freelance or consulting opportunity seeker?

Discuss how you can help your audience, whom your typical clients are and be sure to include actual, quantifiable results. Proof that you can make a difference for them, should they wish to engage you. Provide details on how they can see your full offering and ways they can contact you or lodge an enquiry. Including a short narrative on your background and what excited you to consulting will further engage your audience.

Senior Executive?

Here your profile will focus on the business for it will be read by staff and stakeholders, the media, your peers and your competitors. Position your value well, and don’t be afraid to add insight into yourself as a person to help people relate to you. 

Third-person versus first? C Suite executives may require a more formal profile however, for the majority, personalising your summary makes you much more – well – personable. 

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