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Your Job Search Letters with Wendy Enelow

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Modernize Your Job Search Letters, Get Noticed…Get Hired is a compilation of sample job search documents. I have a copy of my own and knew this was a must-have resource. Wendy Enelow (my guest this week), and co-founder Louis Kursmark published this book with 60 other presenters. Letter samples in the book such as Cover letters and e-notes, recruiter letters, networking letters, thank-you letters inspire creativity and sound strategy to reach employers and recruiters.

How important are these documents to your career?

Let’s talk about it. I would love your feedback in one of three ways:

Call and leave a voicemail at 708-365-9822, or text your comments to the same number
Go to TheVoiceofJobSeekers.com, press the “Send Voicemail” button on the right side of your screen and leave a message
Send email feedback to [email protected]

Wendy Enelow is the founder and Co-President of Emerald Career Publishing, and also one of few Master Resume Writers in the world. Her company publishes resources for job seekers and help career professionals who advise them.

Here are a few of the highlights of our discussion:

The usefulness of the book and the importance of the sample documents
Wendy advises to send highly customized letters and use the book as a guide
The relevance of cover letters and should be distinct from e-notes
Letters are essential to selling yourself and use it to market yourself
Wendy recommends e-notes rather than traditional letters because of its intended brevity and to the point highlights

Need help with your career goals, directions, or efforts? Do you need coaching or instruction? I am here for it! If you’re in Chicago, you might be interested in an upcoming event on February 12. If you want to join me, send me a note at [email protected] or call 708-365-9822 for more information.

by Mark Anthony Dyson

Bring Clarity Not Confusion to the Job Interview

There is so much to say to remind you about interview strategy, and I would go mad in thinking of all of the ways.

Since I have had some feedback from people who follow me and client questions, I will give it to you straight. You’ll think of more issues and solutions, but this was on my mind, and I wanted to be sure you get it.

11 Characteristics of a True Professional

Five ways you bring confusion:

– Lacking enthusiasm for the interview opportunity. All of the non-verbal signs were there when you came to the interview. You were a little late and unapologetic, and your handshake said, “Do I have to?” There was no light in your eyes or anything saying you are ready or interested in anything the interviewer said.

– Long-winded answers. You didn’t prepare or practice, so you were compensating for a little discipline. Often your responses didn’t respond to the question the first time. The first 10 minutes decided your fate, and the rest is purely entertainment and a story to tell of how badly people interview.

– How did you contribute again? It is clear the team was successful, but after 20 minutes it’s unclear how you contributed. There are so many times you should form your mouth to say you “assisted-with…” This phrase comes across as, “I wasn’t entrusted with much responsibility.”

– You don’t answer questions directly the first time. Nothing frustrates a hiring manager more than asking about an issue more than once.

If you need clarification, then say so, but when you’re listening skills are not sharp, it appears you don’t care.

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– You didn’t ask any questions. Usually, the interviewer asks at the end if you have questions. Not having questions at the end is a deal breaker in most instances. Your interest in the interview is defined of how much you inquire and the attitude you exude throughout.

6 Ways the Zombies Took Over Your Job Search

Seven Ways to Bring Clarity:

Careful but candid. It is easy to think too much about any disqualifying comments, but you shouldn’t hold back about your role in the team environment, and your individual accomplishments.

You must be cautious about how you share stories of your interactions with former coworkers and bosses.

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Lively Conversation. An engaging dialogue will help you be memorable. Your interviews are conversational, aren’t they? If not, this is where practice will make perfect.

Adjustments. The tone of the conversation will change test your ability to use common sense or good judgment. The interviewer needs evidence of how you handle pressure and if you can think on your feet.

Realistic. Can you provide real-life stories of your challenges? Are your accomplishments tangible and realistic? Good interviewers know when someone is trying to “fake it until he/she makes it!”

Ideal. Are you likable? Employers want the person that fits their profile. Your ideas and plans along with their qualifications and expectations create a mutually satisfactory situation.

Tenacity. All of the follow-up post interview tasks include the “thank-you” letter, the follow-up call, the additional questions (if necessary), thank the person who referred you, and other things confirm all of who you are. You’re not done with the process until your employment probation is over, even once you receive the offer letter.

Yes. Once there is an agreement of employment terms, then you are ready to start your new job. Remember, after a few months you become the del facto “brand ambassador.”

by Mark Anthony Dyson

5 Reasons Why Social Proof Matters to Recruiters and Hiring Managers

Social proof may replace the reference check one day. There is good reason for believing it will. As the unemployment rate shrinks, the competition for jobs is growing. At the same time, employers have changed the way the vet candidates. CareerBuilder’s annual social media recruitment survey found that 60 percent of employers check candidates’ social media accounts – a 500 percent increase over the last decade.

Employers want more than resume clichés from candidates, which is why your social media activity – and the things people say about you on social media – speak so loudly to employers. We call this “social proof”: proof of the value you create as an employee shared by others on social media.

Many people fail to invest in collecting social proof, but that’s a big mistake. Here are five ways in which a lack of social proof can harm your career:

1. A Lack of Social Proof Suggests You Haven’t Done Anything Impressive

Does the cliché “There’s nothing here to write home about” apply to you? When employers are checking your social media profiles, having nothing to show is equally as bad as a profile full of inappropriate party pictures.Who are you? Are you more than competent at your current position? How do you contribute? These are the questions employers want your social media presence to answer.

Social proof sells your knowledge, skills, and abilities. If you want to be discovered, you need to point employers toward your rich profiles and portfolios online.

2. A Lack of Social Proof Exposes an Incomplete Career Story

Most people have incomplete social profiles and resumes full of generalities. Unless referred by someone for a job, they will unlikely receive any calls back from employers. If you don’t have substance to display, your chances of being ignored are high.

A complete story that includes social proof can show the accomplishments and impact of your career. Someone interested in your career exploits will want to stay informed about what you’re up to – and that’s a good thing! That means you are memorable and have created a meaningful story for your career.

3. A Lack of Social Proof Reveals a Lack of Hustle

What you don’t say speaks volumes. When there’s no social proof, people will start to create narratives for you – narratives that aren’t necessarily true. You don’t want a lack of proof to speak for you when you can leverage proof for your success.

Social proof shows you’re taking extra steps to ensure your marketability. It shows that your options are open and you desire to put your best foot forward. It also says you want to strengthen your career narrative. It confirms the authenticity of your goals and aspirations. It’s a powerful way to keep employers and recruiters coming back for more.

4. A Lack of Social Proof Says Everything Anyone Needs to Know About You

If your voice is the only voice talking about what you’ve done, people will just write it off as bragging. When others are sharing testimony about you, it substantiates your abilities. People envision you doing the same things for them.

When we hear people telling stories about how others have helped them, we are assured and comforted more than we are by lists of certifications and degrees. Recruiters and employers will start to trust you even before meeting you, and soon, you’ll be a serious contender in their eyes. If you’re the only witness to the great things you do, then you only serve yourself.

5. A Lack of Social Proof Drains Authenticity From Your Brand

Without social proof, you lack authenticity. Employers are unlikely to contact you if you lack “realness.” Quotes, stories, and endorsements from others strengthen your authority and prove your brand is accurate.

Social proof provokes engagement of some type. Sometimes that just means a click of the “like” button, but over time, this engagement will add layers of interest. Enough of it will compel others to start taking notice and spreading the word. Remember, though, that you want to draw attention without being outrageous.

People draw closer to you when you have a strong voice. Common ways to establish a voice include writing blog posts or producing videos related to what you do and how you do it. If you show your personality through these things, you will be more memorable. When your accomplishments are clear, others will want to know more about them. In the end, you’ll become indispensable.