No B. S. Job Search Advice Radio

Stop Spamming Your Resume!!!

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Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter speaks bluntly about resume spam.

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I believe lots of resumes today I got to a point where I have stared at so many resumes that in no way shape or form fit what my clients are looking for.

Let me give you an example. I post a position for a global data center manager. The spec I posted was very clear about what I was looking for and what the expectations are. A person is going to run data centers. Even if you know nothing about that, you know that you are expected to have experience running a data center. #.

Why?

What did you see that in any way shape or form see the major qualified for that job?

Do you see the word, “qualifications,” in the job description? That is what the firm is looking for. That’s what the recruiter is looking for in order to identify someone that fits the job.

A CVS store manager. Give me a break. You are a spammer. You are no different than the Viagra people except your stuff isn’t blocked; yours actually gets through… But not anymore. I’m blocking you.

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Do you think employers are trying to help you? You already know you can’t trust recruiters—they tell as they think you need to know to take the job they after representing so they collect their payday.

The skills needed to find a job are different yet complement the skills needed to do a job.

Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter has been a career coach and recruiter for what seems like one hundred years.

JobSearchCoachingHQ.com is there to change that with great advice for job hunters—videos, my books and guides to job hunting, podcasts, articles, PLUS a community for you to ask questions of PLUS the ability to ask me questions where I function as your ally with no conflict of interest answering your questions.

Connect with me on LinkedIn

How to Proofread Your Resume

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You know you have to proofread your resume. What is the best way? In this video, Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter discusses the best way to proofread your resume.

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I want to give you some advice about proofreading your resume. Everyone thinks their resume has no spelling or grammar mistakes, no punctuation errors, no misused words. I know that’s true because they would be sending their resume to me if they believe they had any of these mistakes in them.

But I read so many resumes that have mistakes in them – – words that are incorrectly used like “there” and “their.” I know some people can catch the difference but sometimes software jumps the word or letter and no one notices and he gets through.

Here’s my advice for proofreading; I know it’s a lot of quirky but I know it is effective.

I want you to read your resume from the end to the beginning. Start with the last sentence. We did. Is it correct. Is it correct grammatically correct. Is the spelling correct. Good. Go to the next sentence above.

Start of the end and work your way up to the beginning.

I suggest this for a few reasons. The first is that is the exact opposite of what you would expect to you will see things that you wouldn’t otherwise notice. You’ll see things freshly, instead of in the way that was constructed.

Habit says that we tend to skim when we see things in a familiar way. This is not a familiar way of doing things.

The third reason is because I see more errors at the end of the resume that I do at the beginning. It seems that the later you get into the job history, the more likely it is that you make a mistake because you start rushing a bit.

So, start at the end and work your way out. Last sentence to first sentence, look at every sentence of your resume. Make sure there are no spelling or grammatical errors. Make sure there are no misused terms. Look for specific words that might be in your resume that, if misspelled would also be correct.

Let me give you an example using old technology. Often, the term, “Novell” (that’s an IT term) would be misspelled as “novel.” Maybe someone’s keyboard stuck and only one L came out. Whatever the reason was, that was a common misspelling. Spellchecking software wouldn’t recognize it because the word “novel”is a correctly spelt word.

Look for terms like that they might exist in your resume, that if misspelled, might get through the spellchecker (for you accountants, think of the word gap and GAAP).

If you follow this advice your resume won’t have those dumb errors that cause people like me and hiring managers to go, “Huh? What was she thinking?” Or, “what was he thinking?”

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Do you think employers are trying to help you? You already know you can’t trust recruiters—they tell as they think you need to know to take the job they after representing so they collect their payday.

The skills needed to find a job are different yet complement the skills needed to do a job.

Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter has been a career coach and recruiter for what seems like one hundred years.

JobSearchCoachingHQ.com is there to change that with great advice for job hunters—videos, my books and guides to job hunting, podcasts, articles, PLUS a community for you to ask questions of PLUS the ability to ask me questions where I function as your ally with no conflict of interest answering your questions.

Connect with me on LinkedIn

Giving Your Resume To Someone

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Jeff Altman The Big Game Hunter explains why giving your resume to someone who works for a company you want to target may not be the best way to get an interview.

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Let’s talk today about approaching the furniture interested in working for. Conventional wisdom says to give your resume to someone who works there and have them bring it to the hiring manager as though this is the magic bullet that can get you the interview and advantage you are getting hired.

It can, but the thing that most people don’t do is find out how close this person is to the hiring manager. I give you an example. Someone contact me and says, “I know this terrific individual. They are phenomenal. They are swell. They are terrific.” The person approaches me as someone I barely had contact with if. As a matter of fact, the last time I heard from them was only asked to connect with me on LinkedIn. How much do I really trust this individual? The same might also be true with the people you’re giving your resume to.

The goal is and just to give it to someone who works for the firm, but to find someone within the firm who is well connected with the hiring manager.

Barring that, you are sending your resume to the black hole because the hiring manager has no reason to trust this individual anymore then I have to trust that person who says, “this person going to refer to you is terrific, colossal and swell,” and they had nothing to do with anything I do recruiting for plus I don’t know this person who was telling me how wonderful their friendliness.

There are times where it is better to work with a friend to send a cover letter that addresses that addresses some of the pain points a firm has in hiring someone for this job. It can also be better to use a third-party recruiter who has had a good relationship with his hiring manager to introduce you. Otherwise, you are giving your resume to a different version of the black hole.

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Do you think employers are trying to help you? You already know you can’t trust recruiters—they tell as they think you need to know to take the job they after representing so they collect their payday.

The skills needed to find a job are different yet complement the skills needed to do a job.

Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter has been a career coach and recruiter for what seems like one hundred years.

JobSearchCoachingHQ.com is there to change that with great advice for job hunters—videos, my books and guides to job hunting, podcasts, articles, PLUS a community for you to ask questions of PLUS the ability to ask me questions where I function as your ally with no conflict of interest answering your questions.

Connect with me on LinkedIn

Finding More People on LinkedIn

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Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter discusses how to find more people to network with on LinkedIn.

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A lot of people take a lazy approach to searching LinkedIn by using the search box in the top of their profile page or homepage. Frankly, it’s a waste. Here’s why.

Instead of using that search box, I want you click on the word, “Advanced,” to the right of that box. You will be taken to a page that has advanced search features.

The default seems to be first and second level connections plus group members for groups that you are part of. Click the, “third and everyone else,” option.

You want to make sure your searching groups, you want to search by keyword… You can search by company, the school the person attended, you can search by location by using the function in the left-hand column, “lives in or near.” Within the US, you can narrow that to ZIP Code.

There are a lot of ways that you can target people using the advanced search features.

What language was the profile written in? It may seem idiotic to you but I will screen out the person from Burma.

Who they currently work for. Industry they are in. There are a whole host of functions that are far more useful if you try to reach out to people on the advanced search function of LinkedIn then there is on the standard search.

So don’t take the shortcut because you will be eliminating a lot of people who you could be networking with by doing so.

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Do you think employers are trying to help you? You already know you can’t trust recruiters—they tell as they think you need to know to take the job they after representing so they collect their payday.

The skills needed to find a job are different yet complement the skills needed to do a job.

Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter has been a career coach and recruiter for what seems like one hundred years.

JobSearchCoachingHQ.com is there to change that with great advice for job hunters—videos, my books and guides to job hunting, podcasts, articles, PLUS a community for you to ask questions of PLUS the ability to ask me questions where I function as your ally with no conflict of interest answering your questions.

Connect with me on LinkedIn

Branding for Blue Collar and Other Workers

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Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter talks about Job search branding for blue-collar workers.

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Today, I’m going to speak about branding. Although the podcast is targeted toward the blue wall collar worker, I think there’s a lot is an adaptable to everyone. Hear me out and try and follow the advice I give.

It doesn’t have to be perfect the first time, but you want to involve these so they are useful to you not just now but for years to come.

The first thing I want to mention is that you need to spend some time figuring out what makes you special? What makes you unique? What makes you then other people who do the kind of work you do? How do you stand out from the pack?

Point number two is that when you look at your online persona, keep the critical comments and snarky remarks and the bad pictures off of your profiles. Firms are going online to find out what they can about people. You don’t want these things standing in your way.

The third thing is, if a recruiter was going to find you, whether that is a corporate recruiter or an agency recruiter, think like them and provide the sort of keywords in your LinkedIn profile and other places that will allow them to find you.

If you are blogging, make sure the SCO for your blog post mentions the appropriate keywords that allow discovery.

Here’s the fourth one. I think maybe the most important one. Start to chronicle your work life with video. With pictures. With things that show you in a great light.

There’s an interesting website and they have a beta of their applicant I’m starting to work with. The site is called Somewhere.

With the app allows you to do is chronicle your professional life with a picture and a description. People are curious. I find the people, other than those who work with the firm of course are starting to follow me regularly. You’ll find it if you start chronicling yourself professionally, with photos and/or video, play them up on LinkedIn, bring them up on Somewhere, putting them up on Facebook, twitter and other places, you will be laying the foundation so that, maybe not in this job search in the future, people start looking out for you and start to look for you.

You’ll start to develop a brand or you are known as a success in the field.

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Do you think employers are trying to help you? You already know you can’t trust recruiters—they tell as they think you need to know to take the job they after representing so they collect their payday.

The skills needed to find a job are different yet complement the skills needed to do a job.

Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter has been a career coach and recruiter for what seems like one hundred years.

JobSearchCoachingHQ.com is there to change that with great advice for job hunters—videos, my books and guides to job hunting, podcasts, articles, PLUS a community for you to ask questions of PLUS the ability to ask me questions where I function as your ally with no conflict of interest answering your questions.

Connect with me on LinkedIn

Ask This Question on Your Next Job Interview

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Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter suggest that you ask this question on your next job interview in order to get a clear idea of your future manager’s priorities.

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Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter is a coach who worked as a recruiter for what seems like one hundred years. His work involves life coaching, as well as executive job search coaching and business life coaching. He is the host of “Job Search Radio” and “No BS Job Search Advice Radio,” both available through iTunes and Stitcher.

Are you interested in 1:1 coaching from me?  Email me at JeffAltman@TheBigGameHunter.us and put the word, “Coaching” in the subject line.

Do you have a quick question you would like me to answer? Pay $50 via PayPal to TheBigGameHunter@gmail.com  

JobSearchCoachingHQ.com offers great advice for job hunters—videos, my books and guides to job hunting, podcasts, articles, PLUS a community for you to ask questions of PLUS the ability to ask me questions where I function as your ally with no conflict of interest answering your questions.  

Connect with me on LinkedIn. Like me on Facebook.

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Ending the Interview Right!

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Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter discusses the way to end a job interview and leave a great impression.

[spp-transcript]

Do you think employers are trying to help you? You already know you can’t trust recruiters—they tell as they think you need to know to take the job they after representing so they collect their payday.

The skills needed to find a job are different yet complement the skills needed to do a job.

Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter has been a career coach and recruiter for what seems like one hundred years.

JobSearchCoachingHQ.com is there to change that with great advice for job hunters—videos, my books and guides to job hunting, podcasts, articles, PLUS a community for you to ask questions of PLUS the ability to ask me questions where I function as your ally with no conflict of interest answering your questions.

Connect with me on LinkedIn

You Certify Yourself

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Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter discusses how we certify ourselves during a job interview as the person to be chosen.

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I’ve been part of a nonprofit group that runs men’s retreats around the world. In the course of standing for what is called certification (basically, being authorized by a committee of men who are leading these weekends to have the authority to lead weekends), I’ve been told that the basic idea that you try to have is you certified yourself.

Your matter and your demeanor go along way toward whether or not you will ever be chosen to be hired for an organization. That is true whether I was going for certification of that organization to leave these retreats. That’s true when you are being interviewed for a position.

Does that mean you have to carry yourself as a firm determined individual? No. It’s really about your self-confidence and your certainty in yourself, no matter what your personality is and how it displays itself in the course of the interview.

You have to be an interview clone and parade in like so many other people do with the behavior that’s false or having false arrogance. You just have to that presence and bearing that says, “I’m comfortable in my skin. I know what I know.” You need to be able to look people square in the eye, at times you’re going to smile, at times you may even laugh, a time she may display some discomfort or agony about decisions you’ve made, but you’re comfortable in your own skin as you speak about your experience, your competence and all matters.

When you can do that, it doesn’t really matter if someone chooses you are not. They’ll choose you but when you can certify yourself, when you carry yourself with believing yourself that you are the authority, then, ultimately, you will do so much better on your interviews, do so much better professionally… I want to encourage you – – relax.

You don’t have to act any particular way. You just have to really be yourself and be comfortable in your own skin.

[/spp-transcript]

Do you think employers are trying to help you? You already know you can’t trust recruiters—they tell as they think you need to know to take the job they after representing so they collect their payday.

The skills needed to find a job are different yet complement the skills needed to do a job.

Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter has been a career coach and recruiter for what seems like one hundred years.

JobSearchCoachingHQ.com is there to change that with great advice for job hunters—videos, my books and guides to job hunting, podcasts, articles, PLUS a community for you to ask questions of PLUS the ability to ask me questions where I function as your ally with no conflict of interest answering your questions.

Connect with me on LinkedIn

Stop With the Superlatives!

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Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter encourages you to stop using superlatives to describe yourself in your resume and/or LinkedIn profile.

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I want to talk with you today about a certain peeve I have about resumes. This extends to LinkedIn profiles as well, but, I was reminded of it when I was interviewing someone for Job Search Radio last week who laid it out so beautifully.

When you read a resume or LinkedIn profile and the person describes themselves with superlatives of any kind (it doesn’t matter if there is one or 15; they are people who describe themselves with 15), when you describe yourself as a “visionary leader” with “extraordinary capabilities to enhance leadership ideas,”… No one believes you!

You just show yourself to be a fool. If anything, minimize your terms; being a minimalist when describing yourself is far more effective than these terms that are thought of as being BS. Why use the fluff when they do nothing to enhance the impression you give in people’s minds about you and instead caused them to think worse of you?

One of you done that was so visionary anyway? Let’s get practical about this. You’re going to be interviewed and they’re going to ask you, “What have you done this so visionary?”

What’s your answer? Nothing. You have nothing that is visionary in your portfolio. It was all BS, they knew it and called you on it.

So, cut the crap and get down to the brass tacks. Tell people what you know and what you’ve done. What you’ve succeeded in and how much money you help your firm make or save. Get the metrics in there (remember, if you work for a public company, you need to be careful with sharing some of that information to avoid revealing something proprietary or confidential).

[/spp-transcript]

Do you think employers are trying to help you? You already know you can’t trust recruiters—they tell as they think you need to know to take the job they after representing so they collect their payday.

The skills needed to find a job are different yet complement the skills needed to do a job.

Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter has been a career coach and recruiter for what seems like one hundred years.

JobSearchCoachingHQ.com is there to change that with great advice for job hunters—videos, my books and guides to job hunting, podcasts, articles, PLUS a community for you to ask questions of PLUS the ability to ask me questions where I function as your ally with no conflict of interest answering your questions.

Connect with me on LinkedIn

The Two Doors Brainteaser

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Jeff Altman, The. Big Game Hunter offers an answer to the classic brainteaser. “You have two doors  and two people that you can ask questions of. One always tells the truth.  One always lies. You can only ask one question of one of the people. What’s the question you ask?

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I have one of those hedge fund brainteaser questions for today – – the two doors brainteaser.Here’s how it goes.

There are two doors. Behind one door is a job offer. Behind the other door is all the pain and suffering in the world. There are two people outside them. One is someone who always tells the truth; one is someone who always lies. You can only ask one question of one of them. What is the question you should ask to figure out what door it is that has the job behind it?

So what you do is pick one of the guys and ask, “what with the other guy say is the correct door to go to?”

If the other person is the liar, he would tell you the wrong door. If he is the truth teller he’s going to tell you the correct door.

If the person you asked the question of is the honest one, he will point you to the wrong door (after all, he’s talking about the liar). If that person is the liar, your point you to the wrong door.

When you evaluate the choices, whatever door they pointed to, choose the opposite one.

[/spp-transcript]

Do you think employers are trying to help you? You already know you can’t trust recruite

rs—they tell as they think you need to know to take the job they after representing so they collect their payday.

The skills needed to find a job are different yet complement the skills needed to do a job.

Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter has been a career coach and recruiter for what seems like one hundred years.

JobSearchCoachingHQ.com is there to change that with great advice for job hunters—videos, my books and guides to job hunting, podcasts, articles, PLUS a community for you to ask questions of PLUS the ability to ask me questions where I function as your ally with no conflict of interest answering your questions.

Connect with me on LinkedIn