Four Ways to Stand Out in a Job Search

Four Ways to Stand Out in a Job SearchFour Ways to Stand Out in a Job SearchAre you frustrated because youve applied for dozens of jobs online and havent heard back? This is probably one of the most common frustrations of job seekers. What can you do? Differentiate yourself from the hundreds of other job seekers. Here are four ways to be that stand-out applicant1. Adapt your resume and titel letter. Take the time to adapt your resume to address the requirements of the job posting. First look at the job posting and carefully analyze what they are looking for. Underline key skills sets, technical terms, and technology mentioned in the posting. Have you used these specific words in your summary of qualifications? Do you incorporate them in the accomplishment bullets under each job? Have you included them within your resumes technology section? Use the same underlined words and phrases in your cover letter and, most importantly, make sure you explain why youre interested in working for t hat company. Your final step is to ask yourself this can the employer clearly see (without having to think) how your experience relates to the job? This sounds like a lot of work, but once you get the hang of it, the process gets easier and faster. And honestly, are any two job descriptions exactly the same? Why would you think you could use a single, unmodified version of your resume?2. Take ownership. Stop waiting. Take action. If the jobs you applied for are truly of interest, then it is worth your time and effort to follow up with an schmelzglas or phone call. Be sure you follow the instructions- for example, if the ad said, No calls please, that means you shouldnt call. It is up to you (for your sanity) to find out the status of the job opening. When you do make contact or before you leave the interview, always ask what the next steps are and when you can follow up. You shouldnt have to, but the reality is, if you want an answer, you will need to. A very general rule of thumb i s to follow up weekly, but ask the question to know for sure. We cant change other peoples behavior, we can only change our own. Be systematic and persistent.No news is NOT necessarily bad news. Companies dont keep applicants waiting purposely. There may be many valid reasons why they havent contacted you yet time lines slip, priorities switch, and sometimes financial situations change. Instead of assuming the company has filled the position or is not interested in you, follow up persistently and regularly and be sure to ask when you should follow up again. If you havent already identified someone within the company, see the next point to understand why that is important. If it is a company or job you are interested in, dont give up.3. Find an insider. Reach out to everyone you know and find someone who works for the company with the posted opening. When you find someone, ask them if they know about the job, its status, and who they might recommend you speak with to find out more. A company insider could potentially forward your resume along as a referral. They could also become a source of information for the status of the hiring process and let you know what is going on.You might be able to find names of people to contact on the company website, on LinkedIn, the companys blog, in press releases and newsletters, or on Twitter. People want to help if they can, but remember to be polite and respectful because you will need them to be an advocate for you or perhaps an informant.4. Dont be a victim. aya the employer has what you wanta job. But, that doesnt mean they have all the control. Think about what you can do to feel empowered. Take control of what you can. By taking action, at least you will know that you did EVERYTHING possible.Hannah Morgan is a speaker and author providing no-nonsense career advice she guides job seekers and helps them navigate todays treacherous job search terrain. Hannah shares information about the latest trends, such as reputation m anagement, social networking strategies, and other effective search techniques on her blog, Career Sherpa.

5 Ways to Make Your Boss Look Good at Work - The Muse

5 Ways to Make Your Boss Look Good at Work - The Muse5 Ways to Make Your Boss Look Good at WorkRemember that scene in The Devil Wears Prada when Miranda Priestleys assistant stealthily walks alongside zu sichbei at a partey and whispers who each guest is into the editor-in-chiefs ear so shell seem like she remembers everyone? That should be you, every day at work. Not quietly uttering names into your boss ear- that would be creepy- but making his or her life easier. If you can figure out how to do this well, youll actually climb up on a few rungs on the ladder to success. Plus- youll always have a great reference in your back pocket.Below are five steps you can easily take to make that happen1. Go Beyond Your Job DescriptionIn this day and age, most companies expect employees to do the job of mora than one person. It might elend be fair, but its a fact. Be prepared to show youre up for the challenge by volunteering to take on more than youre expected to do. Odds are high that your bo ss always has a few tasks you can take off her plate, so go ahead and ask. It might not be the most exciting work, but anything that lessens your managers workload will help your career in the long run. Especially if your new responsibilities free her up to work on more long-term projects that help the company grow.2. Pay Attention to DetailWe live in a world of fast-moving communications where everyones used to emailing and texting quickly, often without thinking. While speeds good, quality is just as important, especially when youre working on a project, written report, proposal, or presentation for your boss. Sometimes, in an effort to work fast, mistakes happen. Years ago, I accidentally hit reply all on an email in which I called a senior editor at my magazine a jerk- and, of course, he read it. Long story short, I apologized and kept my job. But ever since then, Ive always taken the time to double-check who Im responding to.You can train yourself to slow down by resisting the urge to push the send button immediately on an email that you havent re-read. Whenever possible, ask a colleague to proofread your work or put it aside for an hour and then read it aloud to catch any errors (yes, it really works, though your co-workers might think youre crazy). 3. Let Her Know About Your Mistakes Before Her Boss Finds OutIf your supervisor gets called out on something that she didnt know about ahead of time, it makes her seem like shes not mindful of whats going on. And when she looks bad, trust me, you do, too. So, the next time you screw up, fess up fast and offer to fix it. We once entered our company as a contender for a Best Places to Work list, and I assigned someone on my team to help put together all the appropriate facts and figures for our submission. We made the list- which shouldve been cause for celebration- however, instead of showing an increase from the previous year, our revenue numbers reflected a decline. I was all ready to yell at the lists edito r for messing up, but as it turned out, my staffer had accidentally reversed the annual revenue numbers.To her credit, as soon as she realized her error, she admitted it and offered to do whatever it took to remedy the situation. The publication ultimately changed our ranking to a higher standing, a crisis was averted, and I respected my staffer more for dealing with her mistake so directly. 4. Stay Up on the Latest TrendsWhen I ran PR at Hearst Magazines, I used to hold monthly meetings called Wish I Had Thought of That, where the teams that reported to me would present the coolest or newest trends, publicity stunts, stories, or ideas they had read about and share them with the whole group- even suggesting how we might apply them to our own brands. This was a great way to force us all to remain up-to-date on whats happening.Think about your own business- are there new technologies, marketing techniques, or real-time data that your boss might not be aware of and would help your depa rtment be more cutting-edge or ahead of the curve? Send him a link to a great article or interview with an industry thought leader, or offer to train him on a new social media platform like Periscope. Hell look like hes on top of his game, and hell recognize you as the reason for that.5. Bring Solutions Instead of ProblemsEveryone- including the boss- has to do more with less these days. When part of your job is managing people, you can end up spending a lot of your time just putting out fires, resolving conflicts, and trying to keep the trains running on time. Unfortunately, as a result, the work you actually need to get done can fall by the wayside (hello, late night emails). Lets be honest Most employees come to their managers with a problem and look to them to present a way to fix it- not unlike parents and children. Save your boss time and energy by coming with potential solutions to whatever challenge youre facing. Next time a problem pops up, try to avoid marching into the of fice and saying, I have a problem. What should I do? Shed much prefer to hear, I have a problem. Heres how I would propose handling it. What do you think? While it seems like a small change, this approach will not only save her the trouble of having to solve the conundrum for you, but will also demonstrate that you have the figure-it-out gene.Lets be honest most of us want to have our boss job some day. Showing that you can be the kind of employee who makes your own manager shine will help pave the way for you to not only get promoted, but also know how to hire a great team wholl make you look good once youre the one calling the shots.Photo of spotlight on boss courtesy of Shutterstock.

Why You Should Stop Seeking Career Approval - The Muse

Why You Should Stop Seeking Career Approval - The MuseWhy You Should Stop Seeking Career Approval There are a lot of confident people in the world. But, I think even they would agree that we all want at least a little bit of acceptance, support, and recognition. Its human nature to crave a pat on the back and that stamp of approval that reassures us we really are making the correct decision- no matter how scary it seems.But, you dont need me to tell you that not everybody is going to give you that encouraging, Go get em when you make a choice- particularly when it comes to your career.In fact, when I decided to quit my full-time marketing position in favor of freelancing, the majority of people I talked with told me what an idiot I welches for leaving the comfort and security of my current gig for a life full of uncertainty. But, I did it anyway. Thats right, when it comes to those big, scary career choices, you often need to stand on your own two feet. And, if you find yourself cons tantly searching for that reassurance and approval from others, youll likely only wind up disappointed.So, here are five reasons why you should stop seeking that career justification and move on- whether your mom approves or not. 1. Its Your LifeLets just get this part out of the way right off the bat Youre grown up now. And, while being an adult comes with its fair share of downsides (hello, bills and grocery shopping), its balanced out with a few perks- like the fact that you now have the ability to make decisions completely on your own.You no longer have to run your choices up the flagpole in order to get the go-ahead to move forward. Instead, you can weigh your options and choose the route that you think works best. Yes, some of those decisions will work out great, and some might throw you a few curveballs. But, the important part is that youre forging your own path in life.So, its time to hold your head high and make the best choices for you- because you can do that now.2. It H as No ImpactThis Thanksgiving, I was sitting with my husbands family around the dinner table when that dreaded question popped up again. My husbands grandma looked at me and said, Alright, now tell me, what exactly do you do again?Weve had this same conversation at least eight separate times. And, we never really get anywhere. I mean, just try explaining content marketing to a 93-year-old woman who has yet to grasp what the internet even is. Its an interesting challenge. Sure, Id love if she had a better understanding of and appreciation for how I spend my days and pay my bills- and itd definitely make those holiday conversations a lot easier.But, in the end, her approval and opinion has no impact on my actual career. I still write. I still book clients. I still cash checks. And, I keep moving forward- even if it means constantly trying to explain what a blog is over my plate of turkey. 3. It Emphasizes Biased OpinionsOf course, people cousine their decisions and outlooks on their o wn values- its why we dont always see eye-to-eye. And, theres definitely a big difference between considering someone elses opinion and accepting it as gospel truth. After all, whats important to one person may not be as important to the next.Maybe youre thrilled with the opportunity to work in a startup environment. But, your conservative dad? He thinks its way too risky. Perhaps your friends tell you that your prospective job offer isnt paying enough. However, the money isnt even what drew you to your line of work- youre fulfilled and rewarded in many other ways.Its crucial to remember that our views of the world are colored by our own individual beliefs and ideals. So, theres no reason to let someone elses lens completely distort your picture. 4. It Hinders Your ConfidenceNo matter how many classroom posters its printed on, there really arent too many people out there who subscribe to the If you dont have anything nice to say, dont say anything at all philosophy. Most are quick t o jump in with a negative comment or objection- no matter how uninformed or ungrounded. Those snap judgments and disapproving remarks can quickly erode your self-esteem. And, if its directed toward a decision youve already made and followed through on, that negativity certainly wont help you dive into your new endeavor with confidence. Theres nothing wrong with weighing others opinions in order to ensure youve looked at your situation from multiple angles. But, dont allow someone elses sour attitude to totally destroy your positivity and enthusiasm.5. Its Not Whats Most ImportantIts really only natural to want to rake in the compliments about how accomplished, driven, innovative, and successful you are. But, if you get so wrapped up in garnering that ego boost from others, youre only losing sight of the one person you truly need acceptance and approval from Yourself.In the end, its your life and your career. Youre the one who needs to live with your decisions from here on out. And, nobody really knows you the way that you do. So, focus on the choices that make you feel happy and fulfilled, and forget the rest. Because when it all boils down, youre the only one who needs to approve. Well, you and maybe your boss. Yes, theres a lot to be said for the importance of talking over the pros and cons of your career decisions in order to make a thoughtful and careful selection. But, when you let other peoples opinions and reactions turn into your be-all end-all? Well, thats when you might wind up unhappy.So, stop seeking justification of your career choices from others and move forward with what you think is best. Take it from me- proving those naysayers wrong is one of the greatest rewards. Photo of man thinking courtesy of Shutterstock.