GILBERT GAZETTE
A monthly publication of Gilbert Resumes, featuring timely career articles
and suggestions for today’s job seekers.
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This months articles:
1. Good News for Senior Level Job Seekers
2. Cover Letters Count More Than You Think
3. How to Protect Your Job in a Recession
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In a recent survey of senior level job seekers there was some
good news.
While 71% of the respondents said they had noticed a decrease
in interview opportunities so far this quarter, almost
six-out-of-ten (58%) described the senior level job market in
their cities as stable and even more (59%)said they fully expect
to find a job in the next six months or less. Why the optimism
given the steady parade of gloomy news in newspapers and on
the evening news. Apparently, employment opportunities are
holding steady in a number of key segments of the economy.
These include: technology,health care, and defense.
What locations are the strongest? According to respondents,
some of the best job markets currently include: San Francisco,
San Diego, Washington,D.C., Seattle, and Boston.
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Cover Letters Count (More Than You Think)
If you're like most conscientious job seekers, you've put a lot
of time and effort into your resume. But have you given your
cover letter its proper due? If not, reconsider and revamp this
most valuable document.
According to a new survey from OfficeTeam, a leading staffing
service specializing in the placement of highly skilled
administrative professionals, 86% of executives polled said
cover letters are valuable when evaluating job candidates. And
if you're not worried about hiring managers, you should be
because your peers are using cover letters even when they
apply electronically.OfficeTeam reveals that a whopping 8 out
of 10 managers said it is common to receive electronic resumes
accompanied by cover letters.
If you're not sure what makes a cover letter great, follow these
seven suggestions from the experts at OfficeTeam.
1. Personalize it.
Instead of addressing your letter, "To Whom It May Concern,"
attempt to get the name of the hiring manager. OfficeTeam
recommends, "If you don't know the hiring manager's name,
call the company and ask."
2. Surf the Web with a purpose.
Put your ability to scour the Net to good use by researching
your target company online. OfficeTeam advises that job
seekers use what they learn to "demonstrate how [their]
knowledge and skill fit the job" and could add value for that
employer.
3. Bridge the gap.
If your resume is a bit sketchy in terms of employment gaps,
your cover letter is the place to put a potential employer's
mind at ease. "Explain how you filled the time," suggests
OfficeTeam. "Mention professional development courses or
volunteer activities." This not only shows that you've kept
your skills current but also that you weren't sitting about idly
between positions.
4. Keep it concise.
A well-written cover letter is priceless; an over-written cover
letter will wind up in the recycling bin. OfficeTeam counsels,
"Leave something for the resume." You don't have to tell your
entire professional story in a cover letter, particularly when it
shouldn't exceed a few paragraphs.
5. Make the first move.
Don't sit passively by after applying for a job. Rather,
OfficeTeam advocates that you take a proactive stance and
"identify next steps, such as writing, 'I'll follow up with you
next week to discuss meeting in person.'"
6. Make no mistake.
Neither the most cautious of eyes nor spell-check program
can catch every error. Before you submit your materials, read
them repeatedly. OfficeTeam also proposes, "Have a friend or
mentor read [them] as an added precaution."
7. Let the applier beware.
If you want to increase the odds that your cover letter will be
read, OfficeTeam leaders say, "When applying through online
job boards, always choose the option to add your cover letter to
your resume. When emailing application materials to a hiring
manager, paste your cover letter within the body of your
message."
Giving your cover letter the attention it deserves improves your
chances of capturing a hiring manager's attention.
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How to Protect Your Job in a Recession
Your company has a plan to survive hard times. Do you?
by Janet Banks and Diane Coutu
In a troubled economy, job eliminations and hiring freezes
seem almost routine, but when your own company’s woes start
to make headlines, it all hits home. Intellectually, you
understand that downsizing isn’t personal; it’s just a law of
commerce, but your heart sinks at the prospect of losing your
position. While you know that passivity is a mistake, it’s hard
to be proactive when your boss’s door is always closed, new
projects are put on hold, and your direct reports look to you for
reassurance. Don’t panic. Even though layoff decisions may be
beyond your control, there’s plenty you can do.
Preparing for the Worst: You May Still Need a Plan B
That’s what we’ve observed in numerous layoffs over the years
and in research on how people respond to stressful work
conditions. (Author Janet Banks oversaw a dozen downsizings
as a vice president in human resources at Chase Manhattan Bank
and a managing director at FleetBoston Financial. Author Diane
Coutu studied resilience during her time as an affiliate scholar at
the Boston Psychoanalytic Society and Institute.) We’ve seen
that while luck plays an important role, survival is most often the
result of staring reality in the face and making concrete plans to
shape the future. Machiavellian as it may seem, holding on to
your job when the economy softens is a matter of cool strategic
planning. In our experience, however, even the savviest
executives are ill-prepared to deal with job threats. Here’s what
you can do to keep your career moving and minimize the
chances that you’ll become a casualty.
Act Like a Survivor
A popular partner in the Brussels office of McKinsey &
Company mentored hosts of junior consultants. When asked for
advice on getting ahead, he always gave the same reply: "If you
want to be a partner, start acting like one." The corollary of this
advice is even more important: During a recession, you have to
start acting like a survivor if you hope to escape the ax.
Studying the thinking of survivors reveals a surprising paradox.
Though creating a plan to weather layoffs requires an almost
pessimistic realism,the best thing you can do in a recession is
lighten up. Keep your eye firmly on the eight ball, but act
confident and cheerful. Research shows that being fun to be
around really matters. Work by Tiziana Casciaro and Miguel
Sousa Lobo, published in a June 2005 HBR article,
"Competent Jerks, Lovable Fools, and the Formation of Social
Networks," shows that while everyone prefers working with a
personable superstar to an incompetent jerk, when people need
help getting a job done, they’ll choose a congenial colleague
over one who is more capable but less lovable. We’re not
suggesting that you morph into Jerry Seinfeld; being congenial
and fun isn’t about bringing down the house. Just don’t be the
guy who’s always in a bad mood, reminding colleagues how
vulnerable everyone is. Who wants to be in the trenches with
him?
Of course, putting on a good face can be psychologically
exhausting when rumors of downsizing spread. Change
always stirs up fears of the unknown. Will you land another job?
How will you pay the mortgage? Can you find affordable health
insurance? Those are all valid concerns, but if you stay positive,
you’ll have more influence on how things play out.
Survivors are also forward looking. Studies of concentration
camp victims show that people made it through by imagining a
future for themselves. The power of focusing on the times
ahead is evident even among people suffering the blows of
everyday life. As Freud wrote in "Mourning and Melancholia,"
a critical difference between ordinary grief and acute depression
is that mourners can successfully anticipate a life where there
will once again be joy and meaning.
In your job, there’s no better way to look forward than to stay
focused on customers, for without them no one will have a job
in the future. Anticipating the needs of your customers, both
external and internal, should be your top priority. Prove your
value to the firm by showing your relevance to the work at
hand, which may have shifted since the economy softened.
Your job is less likely to be eliminated if customers find that
your contribution is indispensable.
Being ambidextrous will increase your chances of survival as
well. In one company we know of, senior staff members were
often expected to play more than one role to keep expenses in
check. When the organization’s new chief operating officer
decided he needed a chief of staff, he chose a person who
continued to manage a human resources team, thereby
eliminating the need for additional head count. Reorganizations
and consolidations involve great change, so they demand
versatile executives. If you’re not already wearing multiple
hats, start imagining how you can support your company by
leveraging experience your boss may know nothing about. A
marketing manager who taught school before moving into
industry might volunteer to take on sales and service training
responsibilities, for example. A recession can offer you plenty
of opportunities to display your capabilities. Layoffs typically
occur at all levels of an organization and can create vacuums
above and below you. By Caroline Potter, Yahoo! HotJobs
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GILBERT GAZETTE
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