Friday 24, April 2009
ISSN:1835-8551
Volume XXXV, Issue 52
Published every fortnight on Friday. To change your subscription, see link at the end of the email.
Career Communiqué x-Press
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accelerating their level of
success in the job market
and the workplace so they
can secure their dream job,
love their work, and get
paid what they're worth.
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Welcome to another issue of Career Communiqué x-Press, and especially a warm ‘hello’ to all of our new subscribers. We consider it a real privilege to have you join us! Please drop me an email to let me know how we can continue supporting you.
It’s official – I’m a grandmother! Christopher John came into this world quite
unexpectedly (three weeks
early) on the 10th April –
Good Friday. Both his mother
(my step daughter) and Chris
are doing well. Here’s a
picture of him just several
hours after he was born. Isn’t
he a cutie! As Christopher is
the first grandchild/nephew in
the family, it’s very exciting
for us all, with my two girls
thrilled to have become
aunties.
Thanks for letting me share my news with you. Onto this issue’s article:
Fast-track job search success with Informational Interviews
Informational interviewing can play a pivotal role in building your network and can also allow you to uncover opportunities in the hidden job market. Unfortunately however, this is a tool often ignored in a job seeker’s job search. Find out how you can accelerate your job search success by conducting informational interviews.
Hope you enjoy this fortnight’s article!
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Until next time, to your success! Remember: If you can dream it...you can achieve it! Annemarie Cross Career Management & Personal Branding Strategist
Surviving a
Redundancy:
10 tactics to get you and your career back
on track:
Loosing your job can be a frightening
situation, particularly if you have been out
of the job market for some time and unsure
about the whole job search process.
Never before
has it been more important to have a
professional marketing document (your resume), a
clear job search plan and action plan to support
you in re-entering the job market with
confidence. And, of equal importance is that you
maintain a positive mind-set throughout your job
search – something that’s becoming difficult to
maintain with all the negative imagery being
portrayed by the media.
This webinar will identify key
job search strategies to ensure you're able to
survive and thrive within a tightening job
market.
Bringing
you empowering career
related topics to support you in accelerating your level of success in the job market and the workplace
across the globe. Co-hosted by Annemarie Cross and Keith Keller.
Losing your job can be a frightening situation; particularly if you have been out of the job market for some time and unsure about the whole job search process.
Never before has it been more important to have a strategic personal marketing and job search management plan in place to support you in re-entering the job market with confidence. And, of equal importance is that you maintain a positive mind-set throughout your job search – something that’s becoming difficult to maintain with all the negative imagery being portrayed by the media.
Join Annemarie Cross and Keith Keller as they share helpful tips and strategies that will allow you to turn your redundancy into an opportunity.
If you have any questions you would like answered during the show, send them through at: http://www.askadvancedemploymentconcepts.com
The live chat facility will be operational during the show; alternatively ring in live and share your question/comment on: (914) 338 0714.
Remember to pop across to join the Career Communiqué Facebook Fan page.
Fast-track job search success with
Informational Interview
Informational interviewing can play a pivotal role in building your network and can also allow you to uncover opportunities in the hidden job market. Unfortunately however, this is a tool often ignored in a job seeker’s job search.
Informational interviewing is a ‘fact-finding exploration’ that can assist you in identifying an optimal place of work that fits your skill set, your motivation and talents, thus positioning you for continued growth and fulfilment in your career.
Conducting informational interviews will allow you to pinpoint your strengths and requirements for further development, while also providing you with an opportunity to build your confidence and communication skills, both crucial for job interviews.
Neglecting to implement this critical research and screening tool within your job search can sadly lead to discontentment after you have accepted a job offer, or worse, are working within the role.
Therefore, if a particular role or industry is of interest to you, go and check it out first by meeting with someone who is already performing these roles to see whether or not this career path will suit you.
Benefits of Informational Interviewing:
It’s important not to confuse informational interviewing with a job interview. You are not interviewing for a role, nor should you ever, under any circumstances, ask for a job.
By conducting an informational interview you should:
Gain a deeper understanding of the job specifications (beyond the job title);
Enhance your awareness of the company’s culture and how you may/may not fit into the work environment;
Expand your network of contacts within the industry thus optimising your targeting ‘the hidden job market’;
Strengthen your understanding of the company’s structure and possible needs so that in the future, should an employment opportunity present itself, you can better position yourself as a top candidate;
Network with professionals in a relatively low-stress setting to assist you in building your self-confidence while gaining crucial information you can harness during your job search campaign;
Screen the organisation to assist you in your decision making process, should you be extended an opportunity for employment in the future.
Getting Started:
Develop a list of people you would be interested in speaking to. This could include people already in your network of contacts, or even staff working in a company that you would consider working for. This is a great opportunity to expand your network so don’t be afraid to touch base with people you are not yet acquainted with.
While in-person meetings are ideal, conducting informational interviews over the phone can be just as beneficial. Many people are governed by hectic schedules so a 10-15 minute phone call may not seem as potentially disruptive as a face-to-face meeting.
Gaining an Appointment:
Contact the person with whom you wish to meet either by letter or telephone. Introduce yourself and explain the reason for your contact. If you were referred to this contact by someone else, remember to mention that person’s name at the beginning of the call. Use the following script as a guideline:
“Hello, my name is [name]. I’m currently exploring career options in [industry/role] and was given your details by [name of person who referred you] for the possibility of obtaining further information about this field and how you got started in the industry. I’d love to be able to meet with you briefly and will only take about 10-15 minutes of your time.”
If you are greeted with apprehension or the comment “Is it possible to do this by phone?” you may like to respond with “Certainly – although it would be an honour to meet with you personally.”
Remember, avoid being pushy – a telephone meeting will also allow you to gather pertinent information.
The Informational Interview Meeting:
Just as if you were attending a job interview, your appearance/attire and your approach should be professional throughout the entire meeting.
Just as if you were attending a job interview, your appearance/attire and your approach should be professional throughout the entire meeting.
Possible Research Questions:
What background do you believe is necessary for people working in this field?
Could you outline current issues and trends associated with this industry?
Can you describe what you believe a typical working environment is like for this industry?
Describe what a typical working day involves for you.
Could you list some of the crucial skills required for this role/industry?
What would you say would be the top 5 aspects of your role?
What would be the least favourable areas about your role?
What advice would you give someone looking to enter this industry/role?
Could you recommend any industry publications or articles where I could gather further information?
Are you able to provide names of people I could talk to regarding the industry? Would you mind if I used your name as a referral?
You may consider bringing a copy of your resume and request the person to review it at a later stage to provide feedback on its content and format. This will provide you with another perfect opportunity to touch base with them.
Leave your business card and request a business card from the person you are meeting.
Final Thoughts:
Remember, be respectful of the person’s time and stay within your allocated time guidelines. Do not ask for a job, nor be too aggressive in your questioning or your approach.
Thanks Yous:
After the (in-person / telephone) meeting send a thank you letter, expressing your gratitude for their time and valuable information he or she shared.
Due to family-related circumstances I had to give up my job some 18 months ago and am now looking at re-entering the workforce. Is it proper to put on a resume "Sabbatical" or should it be explained more?
-- Susanne.
Dear Susanne,
An important point to remember is that your resume is a marketing document with the sole purpose of promoting your skills, achievements and overall value you offer an organisation. A resume is not so much a chronological history that has to account for each and every movement you have made in and out of your career.
So in your case Susanne, I would not dwell so much on the issue of your ‘career break’ but rather on developing a powerful, results-driven resume that communicates your expertise, qualifications and contributions within the workplace, specific to the role for which you are applying. Concentrating on these areas should detract the reader’s attention away from your short career break, while understanding exactly what it is you are offering their organisation.
Your aim is to demonstrate not only how you can fit into the role, but also how you can contribute to the organisation’s ongoing success. I’m sure you have heard the phrase “sell it … don’t tell it” when developing your resume. However not only is the wording and content imperative, but also the way in which your document is formatted and presented. Strategic advertising concepts can also be used within resume writing, successfully detracting the reader’s attention away from your short career break by highlighting your expertise and therefore catapulting your candidacy to the top of the pile.
If you’d like to try your hand at developing your own resume, step-by-step instructions on how to develop a powerful marketing document are outlined in our Powerful Resume e-course.
All the very best, Drop me a line at info@a-e-c.com.au and let me know how you go.
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Annemarie Cross is a Career Management & Personal Branding Strategist, Speaker, Consultant, Radio Broadcaster, and Author of ’10 key steps to Ace
that Interview'. She also heads the
firm - Advanced Employment Concepts,
which offers powerful programs for people
desiring
career success and
fulfilment, as well as savvy companies committed to
building/retaining their most important asset
– their staff.
Widely
considered a personal change agent
and success catalyst by her
high-achieving executive,
professional, consulting and
entrepreneurial clientele, Annemarie’s motto ‘Your catalyst to success’ perfectly encapsulates what she desires for everyone she and her team works with. To learn more
visit: www.a-e-c.com.au
Career Communiqué x-Press is published by Annemarie Cross. You are receiving this email from Annemarie Cross because you subscribed on our website. To ensure that you continue to receive emails from us, add info@a-e-c.com.au to your address book today. To no longer receive our emails, click to on the Remove Me button below.
unexpectedly (three weeks
early) on the 10th April –
Good Friday. Both his mother
(my step daughter) and Chris
are doing well. Here’s a
picture of him just several
hours after he was born. Isn’t
he a cutie! As Christopher is
the first grandchild/nephew in
the family, it’s very exciting
for us all, with my two girls
thrilled to have become
aunties. 
Advanced Employment Concepts are thrilled to announce their partnership with JibberJobber Career Management 2.0 – the gold standard in career management technology.