Applying for a Job That's Not Posted

Here is a post from the Ask Liz Ryan online community:

Dear Liz,

I am trying out the best way to apply for a position that is not posted at a local company. I am interested in working as a recruiter for them, but have not seen the position posted. This company is hiring like crazy and I would love to work for them. Good bad-tips for success.Thank you for sharing!

Susan

Dear Susan,

This is a big theme in the job-search process we espouse here in our group! You don't have to wait for a job opening to be posted, and in fact if you're interested in a particular employer it's best not to wait foryour desired job opening to be posted.

If you wait, you're tossing your resume into the mix with a zillion other job seekers. If you approach the company directly before they post your dream job, you've got a much better chance of getting an interview.

Here's what you do:

1. Identify the company you'd like to approach.
2. Use LinkedIn, ZoomInfo.com and the company's own website - plus Google - to identify a person by name and title, whom you'd like to reach out to.
3. Write a great, pithy letter to that person, using the Cover Letter Formula shown at the link below. Attach your resume to the letter.
4. Send your brilliant cover letter and the attached resume to this person via surface mail.
5. Repeat - for every employer you're targeting.

Here are the relevant how-to links:

HOW TO FIND A NAME INSIDE A TARGET COMPANY

TEN RULES FOR THE PERFECT COVER LETTER

p.s.
What are the odds that a given company is hiring people like you right now? The odds are very good. Eighty percent of jobs never get posted. Jobseekers whoreach out to companies proactively, in addition to or instead of responding toposted job ads, get jobs that never see the light of Monster, as it were. :-)
Cheers -- Liz)

Ten Attributes of a Great Resume

We were asked to share an example of a great resume with the members of the Ask Liz Ryan online community. As I started thinking about this, I realized that an example of a strong resume, while undoubtedly helpful, wouldn't really do the trick on its own. You could read a good resume and not necessarily be able to write your own great resume as a result. The key, it seems to me, is to understand the elements that go into a killer resume, so that you can write a great resume for yourself.

So here is a resume example (a short one) but more importantly, I believe, a list of Ten Attributes of a Great Resume. Can you inject these attributes into your own resume and bring it up to its highest level?

Ten Attributes of a Great Resume

A Great Resume Has:

1. A human voice.

Before you do anything else, delete and replace all of the corporate boilerplate language from your resume. Your resume won't do its job for you if it's written in boring, traditional Resume Language. Write the way you speak! If you need help getting a human voice into your Objective or Summary, send it to us at the Ask Liz Ryan discussion group for a complimentary spruce-up.

2. A clear, compelling Objective or Summary.

The point of your Objective or Summary statement is to let the reader know what this page, or two pages, of job history means. Without an Objective or Summary to tie it all together, your resume says "Here is a person who did some stuff. What is the point of it all? Beats me - you figure it out." You need your Objective or Summary to put the point on the arrow. Do you know what's important about what you've done, what the theme of your career has been so far, and what your strengths are? Figure these things out, and proclaim them, right up front!

3. A storyline.

The reader desperately wants to know what you did, but just as badly wants to know why you did what you did, and why you made the changes you made in your career. It is absolutely appropriate to include the reasons for leaving various jobs if doing so helps your storyline. For instance, the last bullet point in a list of bullets describing your role at XYZ Corp. might be this: "Left company due to family relocation to Maryland."

4. An emphasis on accomplishments rather than tasks and duties.

The worst resumes are full of the dreaded sleep-inducing corporatespeak, but the second-worst resumes ares the ones that list every duty you fulfilled at every job you ever had. No one cares about that - we care about what you got done, and what you made better during your time on the job. Use that valuable resume real estate to list the feathers in your cap during each assignment, not the reports you filed and the meetings you attended.

5. No duplication.

If you learned XYZ skill at Job A, we will assume you still had it when you moved on to Job B. Don't use your valuable resume space to repeat what you've already told us about yourself. Point up the differences, rather than the similarities, between the jobs you've held.

6. A Punchy, Succinct, Un-Stodgy Style.

Punchy and brief go hand in hand. Use fewer words rather than more words, and edit yourself mercilessly. Two pages is the absolute maximum for a business resume (an academic CV is a different story) - one page is better. Ask yourself, again and again: does this matter? It is marketable? Editing is a business skill. Show the reader your editing ability! Punchy means pithy and real - use Thesaurus.com to help you find punchier word choices.

7. Specifics over generalities.

I read more resumes than most, and what strikes me far too many of them is their reliance on generalities, like "Led multi-functional team to meet and exceed business goals." What the heck does that even mean? It doesn't signify anything, and for that reason, it's not impressive. Better to say exactly what you did than to list airy-sounding, ambiguous resume-isms. Say "After a late-in-the-year merger, created Annual Report from scratch in three weeks." Don't say "Responsible for all corporate communications graphics strategy and direction." Give us the goods! Hiring managers want to picture you in the job. Sharing specific accomplishments lets them do that, and shows more of the human side (that's the good side!) of you in the process.

8. Few, if any, lists.

Kill the "List of Qualifications" or "Summary of Qualifications" that no one will read, in any case. Kill those horrible lists of "Skills" that cover all the bases, usually using bullet points between the words (e.g. "Operations - Sales - Marketing - Finance - Customer Service"). Those things are worse than a waste of space. What have you done in each of these functional areas? - that's the question! Make your resume come alive by nuking the lists and giving us the stories. Note: if you're a technical person, you can list your technical competencies, in the form of certifications or software programs or whatever, somewhere down low on your resume. Ditto for financial, insurance-industry and other function-specific alphabet soup bowls. The rest of us should be listless, as it were.

9. Thoughtful contact details.

Which thoughtful details do we have in mind? For starters, your name - pick a job-hunting name that you can live with throughout the interview process. That means choosing between Chaz and Charles, or Penni and Penelope; using a middle initial, or a middle name, or not; and choosing a surname (if you have a choice) that'll serve you throughout not just the job-search process but into the job-holding process as well. It's disconcerting to recruiters to strike up a conversation with Spike Spencer and be informed two weeks later that Spike would like to be called Krishnamurthy, and that Spencer will henceforth be Spencer-Quayles. Likewise, your email address should be suitable for a grown-up job search (that means bill.c.benson@hotmail.com, not billtheman@gmail.com).

10. No "References Available Upon Request"

There are certain phrases, like "This sentence is the one you're reading now" and "References Available Upon Request" that don't have any meaning. If you want to get some upfront mileage from your lofty references, include a line on your resume that says "My references include a Dean at The University of Michigan, the VP of Sales at Ford Motor Company, and the Mother Superior at the Convent of the Sacred Heart." Or you could leave the references out entirely, because everyone already knows that your references are available upon request.

Now, here is the resume (one of an infinite number of possible great resumes) that we promised:

Carl Sanders

123 Washington Lane

Montclair, New Jersey 07042

(phone number) (email address)

Summary:

I'm a Graphics pro with a Sales orientation, keen on creating powerful designs that sell products and bring new clients to my employer's door. I've won a handful of prestigious design awards (listed below) but I'm more proud of the fact that my marketing materials helped my employer win the Best New Product award at the Consumer Electronics Show in 2006 and bring $125,000 in pre-launch orders home with us. I love collaborating with Sales, Engineering and Manufacturing to produce collateral, packaging, and product design that is fundamental to a product's success.

Experience:

XYZ Corporation, Hoboken, NJ
Graphic Designer 2004 - 2008

• Led design program for the X-12, X-15 and X-20 family of wireless computing devices.
• Collaborated with Sales, Marketing, Engineering, Manufacturing and with clients to create and implement design strategy for the product itself; packaging; collateral materials; and sales/customer training aids.
• Won Graphics Magazine "Best Design 2005" award for X-15 product and packaging.
• Was invited to Chairman's Retreat along with top 12 company execs to create 2007 design approach.
• Left XYZ upon its acquisition by YenZen Holdings, Ltd. (didn't fancy move to China)

My ADD is kicking in - I'll stop here. You get the idea. Punchy. Concise. Questions? Write to me at liz@asklizryan.com.

Have You Seen This Resume?

JAHNE DOE

123 PARK AVENUE

SPRINGFIELD, OI 12345

SUMMARY

Results-oriented, Proactive Management Professional with a proven track record of consistently meeting or exceeding expectations in a variety of strategic business interactions across functions with all levels of staff, providing end-to-end solutions while translating complex big-picture paradigms to facilitate implementation of cross-functional initiatives, continually raising the bar for best-in-class process architectures leveraging out-of-the-box client-focused deliverables.

EXPERIENCE

XYZ Corp

Director, Best-Practice Business Client Analysis Process Execution

Was instrumental in creating top-down and bottom-up excellence initiatives driving success across multiple product lines of global process leadership benchmarking strategic initiatives. Served on congruent multi-functional Centers of Excellence creating high-leverage multi-stage business planning processes for End-User Re-Engineering Acquisition Management Functionality Development, Interdepartmental Team Focus Client Engagement Growth Trajectory Planning Methodology, and Continuous Improvement Global Outsourcing Technology Management Maintenance Architecture. Third-Place Winner, Division Six Communications Sector Upper Midwest Regional Cross-Functional Rock Paper Scissors Championship, Q3 2004.

Jazz Up That Resume

If you're going rock-climbing, you want good equipment - ropes that won't break, for instance, when you're in the middle of a 1,000-foot rock wall. When you're job-hunting, you need a killer resume! The last thing you want on your job search is a boring, stiff resume that feels like it was written by Resume-O-Matic software. Yuck!

You can add some life to your resume. Here are some Resume Spruce-Ups that we've done in the last couple of weeks for the members of the Ask Liz Ryan discussion community. Join our group if you want your resume spruced up, too! The original Objective or Summary from each resume is shown below along with the Spruced-Up version of that Objective or Summary. See what you think ---

Original Version:

Accomplished marketing professional experienced in developing products and messages that penetrate marketplace and deliver results. Combines analysis, creativity and ownership in critical addressing issues. Leads teams to deliver results on time and on budget. Collaborates successfully with internal departments and outside vendors. Supports sales success with top-notch presentations and sales materials. Reduces costs and increases profit margins by incorporating new technologies and processes.

Spruced-Up Version:

My Marketing approach begins at supporting the sales process with top-drawer materials, pitch and message development, and continues on to branding and marcom campaigns that create pull from the marketplace. As a leader, I'm an avid talent developer and cultivator of internal and external client relationships. I live by a mantra of On Time and Under Budget, and view technology as the chief enabler for cycle-time reduction and decreased cost.

Original Version:

Accomplished, resourceful management professional with 20+ years of experience leading initiatives that improved efficiency and workflow across departments at the University of X. Energetic, innovative team player who consistently produces results that exceed quality, quantity and time standards. Possess a Master's in Management and a Bachelor of Arts in Organization Management. Creative and proactive problem solver, with 'big picture' vision and the ability to work with management, staff and clients toachieve objectives. Strong team builder, skilled at motivating employees to deliver unparalleled customer service and attain major companyobjectives. Adept at staying on-task and on-time despite shifting priorities and tight deadlines. Always calm under intense pressure,with superior decision-making abilities.

Spruced-Up Version:

Here is the resume of an OD professional with hefty credentials in an academic environment teamed with a bottom-line business orientation. I've brought innovative and targeted OD interventions to the University of X to improve performance and financial results during its last two decades of tumultuous change. My distinction from the conventional OD practitioner is my ability to combine the 10,000-foot strategic view with spot-on tactical solutions, under tight deadlines and quicksand-like shifts in priority. I'm a mentoring, calm leader with a steady hand on an organization's cultural wheel -and ready for the next daunting, exhilarating challenge.

Original Version:

Highly motivated professional with proven track record of helping customers
reach their business goals using technology. Experience in full life
cycle development of web based and client-server applications, systems integration, distributed processing, designing databases, project management, developing & managing customer relationships.

Spruced-Up Version:

I'm a systems developer/project manager who's equally at home building web-based and client-server solutions. I've designed robust databases to suit sophisticated requirements and managed projects ranging from [X] to [Y]. My strength is getting in at the earliest stage of conceptual thinking and leading a project through its full lifecycle, slaying whatever dragons appear along the way. I thrive on relationship-building with clients, internal and external, and get excited about tackling the thorniest problem on the docket.

Original Version:

Over the course of my life I have lived, studied and worked in four countries – India, Kuwait, England and the US. This has allowed me to gain a diverse perspective on living and working in a global marketplace. In my most recent professional roles, I have been involved in most aspects of running a businessfrom business strategy and contract offer development to supply chain optimization of a global manufacturing system and running the executive office as Chief of Staff for one of the top 30 people in a fortune 100 company. This has been during a period that the business models have transitioned and leadership has changed, which has given me a unique insight into managing change. My contributions to the organization have been recognized by my selection as one of only 89 individuals, for the management development program for employees with the potential to develop into top tier management for a global organization of over 50,000 people. My experience has provided me with a well-rounded spectrum of financial planning, strategic management and client relationship skills that can be applied in all areas of business management and consulting.

Spruced-Up Version:

I'm a an Operations chief, with success in roles from COO to Chief of Staff to head of Operations and Supply Chain. My strategic focus comes from a career spent managing tumultuous change in business models, requiring me to bring teams through massive change processes without losing ground. My global awareness comes from years living in India, Kuwait and the UK. I bring a strong portfolio in financial management and a heavy dose of strategic planning paired with large-client relationship management. I thrive on line and staff assignments that require sophisticated consulting skills, addressing burning issues that involve diverse functions and geographies.

Keeping An Employer On Hold, Waiting for Better Offer

Here is a question from a member of the Ask Liz Ryan online community:

I am all types of excited because I had a really great interview this past week and I am feeling very confident that I will get an offer to free me from this contractual hell hole, lol (yay). However, I have a second interview with a different company this week and perhaps another interview on the horizon. I'm interested in knowing how others have handled telling employer candidates that you are still fishing? The interview I have coming up is the position I am most excited about and I would really like to hold out to see what develops with that before moving forward with the other place, or any, if given the opportunity. Any suggestions?

And here is my reply:

Ryan's Law of job-hunting is that the job you really want is always a week to two weeks behind the job you've already been offered, in the job-search timeline. That puts you in the awful position of either having to pass on the job you've been offered, hoping for the job you want, or trying to keep the first employer warm while the second opportunity progresses, or doesn't.

You may be able to keep the first employer hanging on for a week, but that's about the limit. You can ask for a few days to consider the offer, but my suggestion is instead to delay the offer itself by asking some pithy questions and/or making requests that your contact at the first employer won't be able to handle on his or her own.

It may take a few days for those answers to come back to you, giving the second employer time to act. There is also nothing wrong with letting the second employer know that you have an imminent offer from the first employer and don't have much wiggle-room timewise.

Some of the offer-delaying questions you could ask the first employer include

• Since it seems as though you are contemplating an offer to me, I would love to meet with a few of my prospective teammates on the job. Could we set up that up for late this week or early next week?
• (For a customer-facing role) Would it be possible for me to chat with a client of yours about the role?
• As it seems that we're getting close to the brass-tacks stage, I'd like to meet one more time with the hiring manager. Unfortunately I am booked this week - does s/he have time early next?

It is vital to remember that if an employer is ever going to show you the love, it is going to be now - at the point of making an offer. If an employer balks at your request to meet the team, chat with a client, or meet once more with your prospective boss, think about the message the employer is sending!

"No, you can't meet the team." Run away!

"No, you can't talk to a client." Get on the bus, Gus!

"No, the hiring manager can't meet with you - we're sending an offer." Make a new plan, Stan!

With apologies to Paul Simon!

"So, What Do You Do For a Living?"

When you are job-hunting, you're supposed to network. But then, as soon as you start to network, you run into an obstacle, and the obstacle is this question:

"So, what do you DO?"
You don't want to say "I am job-hunting." That's like having someone ask you "How are you?" and answering "I have shingles." It's a conversation-stopper.

Here is an article that can help. Take a look!

Why Do Interviews Get Scheduled While You're Working?

You're job-hunting and so you send out all these letters. Then you get a call. "We've set up an interview for you, next Tuesday at ten a.m. We can't wait to meet you!"

Well, um, the thing is....I'm doing my job at ten a.m. If I have to take a day off work for every first interview and second interview that comes along until I get a job offer, I'll be fired!

When I was a corporate HR person, the conventional wisdom was that unemployed job-seekers could interview at any hour, and employed job-seekers could do interviews late in the day or early in the morning. They could come into the office late or leave early. That conventional wisdom seems to have gone out the window. Now, companies expect job-seekers to come in for an interview at any old time. Two o'clock, ten in the morning, whatever.

The one and only time I stealth-job-hunted, I was able to go on four separate interview rounds at my prospective employer (some of 'em including three or four different interviews) without my then-current employer catching on. That's because my prospective employer was able to schedule each of those interview rounds to start no earlier than three-thirty or four p.m. That's a rarity these days.

If you get a call asking you to come in for a first interview in the middle of the day, you can beg off. You can say "I would love to come, but I am busy at work and people are relying on me. If we could schedule that for eight in the morning or five-thirty in the afternoon, I will be there." The further you get in the process, the more sense it makes to juggle your schedule so that you can get to a mid-day interview.

If you have to miss work for an interview, you should be vague about it, but try not to lie, not only because of the karmic damage but because you could be busted in the lie. You can say "I have some personal business I've got to take care of" and leave it at that. Your boss may require you to take a half-day or even a full-day off, using up one of your paid days off. That's why it's good to save those missed days for second and third interviews, if you can.

Don't, please don't, call in sick to go to a job interview. Sick days are supposed to be used only when you are physically sick. If you don't have personal days left, use vacation time. You can say "I have to do some legal stuff" if you have to. Job-hunting is sort of legal. If you get an offer letter, it will say "This offer is not to be construed as a contract. " A lawyer wrote that. I guarantee it.

Like so much else in job-hunting, there is a power play that goes on around interview scheduling. If you're supposed to meet with the VP, that's good for you - you're a lofty candidate. Still, the VP is like corporate royalty. There'll be plenty of harrumphing if you're not available when His or Her Royal Highness is. At the same time, if the company really wants to meet you, they'll bend. Back during the crazy dotcom heyday, I'd routinely get on airplanes to fly to strange cities and meet candidates in the airport and then head back home without having left the airport. Daily stuff. Nowadays, not too many companies will treat candidates that well. You have to decide where your point of equlibrium is.

For instance, if you took off work for a first interview, you can say when they call you for a second interview, "You know, this could be a great opportunity for me, but I missed a half-day of work to meet you guys last time. Can we figure out how I can meet Amy and Phil without missing work again?"

One of the reasons companies like to put interviews in the chunky middle of the day is that they don't always know upfront whom you'll meet. They get you buttoned down on the schedule first, and then start checking with hiring managers and HR folks to see who will actually meet you. You can circumvent this to some degree if you set your boundaries early. It's not that you'll say "I don't want to meet anyone who isn't in the selection decision process," unless you're self-absorbed. It's just that you'll say "I can find two hours this week for interviews, so we may want to just have me meet the people that you feel are most critical to this decision process."

You will feel horrible if you travel very far down the pipeline and get tossed out of it - and you'll feel that much worse if you've risked your current job by taking off a bunch of time to pursue what turned out to be a dead-end opportunity. So be wise. Yes, yes, I know, life involves risks. But you owe your current workmates something, and you don't need everyone looking at you sideways when you saunter back into the office after taking four hours off to interview. "Yo Chuckie, why didn't you answer your cell phone?" "Um, I didn't hear it." Companies who know anything about the job market know that lots of great candidates are booked to the gills. Don't be afraid to push back when the interview scheduling puts too much pressure on your current gig.