The Savvy Networker

Written by Liz Ryan

If you're job-hunting today, you know that employers are looking for sharp, self-motivated people. Paradoxically, just about the worst way to convey your talent and motivation is to say in your resume or cover letter, "I'm self-motivated." Anyone can say that! The phrase falls flat. You can't afford to let done-to-death boilerplate language sink your resume like a boat anchor.

Resume cliches like "self-motivated individual" and "results-oriented professional" are out of date in 2010. You can do a better job of letting hiring managers know how you solve problems on-the-fly or leap over tall buildings in a single bound.

Here are ten of the deadliest resume phrases in use ("massive overuse" would be more accurate) and replacements for each one. You'll rewrite the replacement phrases to reflect your own accomplishments--and that's the key! We can't expect a timeworn piece of resume boilerplate to stand in for our own pithy, personal examples.

Kill this: Results-oriented professional

Replace with your own version of this: I love to solve thorny supply-chain problems

Kill this: Excellent team player

Replace with your own version of this: At Acme Dynamite, I partnered with Engineering to cut our product cost in half

Kill this: Bottom-line orientation

Replace with your own version of this: My accounting-process overhaul saved the company $10M in its first year

Kill this: Superior communication skills

Replace with your own version of this: I led a two-day offsite that yielded our 2010 product lineup and a $40K cost savings

Kill this: Possess organizational skills

Replace with your own version of this: Reduced customer-complaint resolution time from three weeks to one by revamping the process

Kill this: Savvy business professional

Replace with your own version of this: I'm a PR manager who's gotten his employers covered by Yahoo! and Time magazine

Kill this: Strong work ethic

Replace with your own version of this: I taught myself HTML over a weekend in order to grab a marketing opportunity

Kill this: Meets or exceeds expectations

Replace with your own version of this: Invited to join our executive staff at a strategy summit during my first year at the company

Kill this: Strong presentation skills

Replace with your own version of this: Was recruited to join Acme Dynamite after my boss heard me speak at a conference

Kill this: Seeking a challenging opportunity

Replace with your own version of this: I'm looking for a midsize manufacturer primed to grow its business in the Pacific Rim

Get the boilerplate lead out of your resume today, and replace it with concrete, visual stories that bring your power to life. Watch employers respond! You can't afford to send out another lifeless, sounds-like-everyone-else resume. Employers want the real you on the page. Try it!

Social Networking Basics for Job Hunters

by Caroline M.L. Potter

Which site is right?

Facebook. LinkedIn. Twitter. There are many sites that foster community online, but not everyone feels bold enough to sign up for all of them.

If you're skittish about social networking, LinkedIn may be the safest choice. LinkedIn has more than 41 million members from around the world, and its mission is to foster professional connections, unlike Facebook or Twitter, which can be used personally, too.

Getting Started

According to Krista Canfield, the career expert and spokesperson for LinkedIn, "I think the reason people are more comfortable with LinkedIn is because it's a professional networking site and you're representing your professional identity online."

Lauren Milligan, founder of ResuMAYDAY, agrees, "If you're just dipping your toe into the social networking water, the two easiest sites to navigate are LinkedIn and Twitter, because you have 100% control over the content." Remember, though, even if you're not comfortable with Facebook, you should have a passing familiarity with it as it's become an important marketing tool for many businesses.

As you build your connections on LinkedIn, be discerning. Reach out to people you do business with and coworkers as well as former classmates. Carefully consider each request you make and accept.

Canfield says, "I only try to connect with people I've worked with in the past and know and trust or expect to work with in the future. It's more a quality game rather than quantity." When sending a request, she recommends creating a custom message. "Unless you literally sit next to a person, you should remind people who you are and why you want to connect with them."

Good References

Then, says Milligan, "Do everything you can to get lots of recommendations on your LinkedIn account. (Insider secret: the best way to GET a recommendation is to GIVE one first!)." It may also be helpful to include your LinkedIn profile ID or URL on your resume.

"Twitter is a great way for broadcasting things and letting your network know what you're up to," says Canfield. "You could send out a tweet saying, 'I'm looking for a job in finance. If you know of anything, here's my LinkedIn profile.'"

Adds Milligan, "Use Twitter to position yourself as an expert in your industry and people will listen!"

What Not to Do

Don't spam people with too many tweets or status updates. If you're using any mode for professional purposes, be respectful of your contacts and followers.

Also, avoid collecting followers or connections that don't have real value for your network or your job search.

Says Canfield, "The right number of connections will differ from profession to profession. Someone in advertising may have many more than a lawyer or an accountant. When people have around 25 connections, that's when they see the benefits of being on a professional network. But, it's like having a phone book: Just because you have all those numbers, doesn't mean they can help you out."

10 Hiring Manager Deal Breakers

By Kaitlin Madden, CareerBuilder.com writer

Everyone has encountered a deal breaker. That one unappealing characteristic -- no matter how attractive something initially seems -- that completely overrides any positive aspects. For example, you found a great apartment but it's a mile from the subway or your hot blind date acts like a cast member from "The Jersey Shore." Like anyone else, hiring managers have deal breakers too -- things that a job candidate does or says that immediately get their application sent to the "no" pile.

Here are some automatic applicant disqualifiers, straight from the recruiters' mouths:

"I provide personal PR consulting as part of my practice, and job interviews have come up recently. In talking with other managers, the worst interview blunder that I keep hearing about is young grads using social media speak during conversations, as if LOL is a real word. Most hiring managers are social-media savvy, but they want to know that their future employee can carry on professional conversations with all levels of the organizations -- using real words." -- Jules Zunich, owner, Z Group PR

 "The first thing that comes to mind when I think about deal breakers is the candidate's online personal brand. I Google candidates and if I find online content that is concerning, it's an immediate deal breaker. Examples of this include: pictures of the candidate drunk or acting in a promiscuous way or albums of pictures that represent a 'party animal' image; blogs or videos that are not in good taste; blogs, articles or any written content with below par writing and grammar skills; lack of professionalism or good conduct in group discussions (i.e. LinkedIn groups); complaints about prior companies and managers; and just a general usage of improper language on any social-media venue." -- Jessica Simko, human resource manager and owner, WorkandLifeSolutions.com

"A few of my common no-no's:

1. Bringing up salary in the initial interview (for an otherwise great interview, I'll excuse this if it happens during the Q&A at the end).

2. Speaking about scheduling limitations or prospective reasons to leave the position right off the bat.

3. Acting impolitely or speaking down to any person in our office (receptionists or secretaries included).

4. Telling me that dealing with people is your biggest challenge/weakness or least favorite thing. Very few jobs let you work without other people.

5. Consistently answering questions other than those I asked.

In general, it's often the little things that distinguish a good candidate from a bad candidate, so keeping all of those little things in mind is very important!" -- Josh, commenter on TheHiringSite.com

"Deal breakers I have seen include: having a really immature [cell phone] ring-back (I called one girl for an interview and her ring-back was some hip-hop song). Also, once a candidate didn't know what company they were applying for. Although the job posting didn't note the company name, the root domain of my e-mail should give away our Web address, and we were looking for someone that was tech-savvy for the job. Another time I told a candidate to dress fashionably for the interview because we were a fashion company, but she was a total mess when she came into the interview with loose clothing and really messy hair." -- Danny Wong, hiring manager, Blank Label Clothing

"Lying on a résumé. I had a marketing director e-mail me her old résumé (which I only had a paper copy of) and an updated résumé. The dates of employment on the updated résumé did not match the dates on the previous résumé and the first job listed on the previous résumé did not appear on the new one. When I asked for an explanation, she told me that she could not remember the dates of employment at her previous job and that she had removed her previous job from the new résumé because she wanted everything to fit on two pages. When I told her that I could not proceed with her candidacy because of the inaccuracies, she actually got angry at me. The second was a lawyer who, on a new résumé, changed the dates of his previous employments and removed one job completely. The funny thing was that he knew I had the previous résumé. The rule is simple: Liars need not apply!" -- Bruce Hurwitz, president and CEO, Hurwitz Strategic Staffing

"Arrogance. When a candidate is overly confident, I find them to have a sense of entitlement, which is the last thing any employer wants to deal with. Remember to be gracious to anyone you meet during the job search process. Being humble will get you farther than being conceited." -- Elliott Martimbeau, recruiting manager at Sapphire Technologies

"One candidate I met recently came into my client's office and complained about the sign on the building. She said that it was too high up and was blocked by the trees surrounding it so she was unable to find the company. If you are this negative going into an interview when you're supposed to be at your best, think about how negative you'll be when you face challenges as an employee. Another candidate interviewing for a coordinator role asked for directions when I scheduled the interview. These days with Google Maps being so prevalent, candidates should be able to find their own directions, even if they don't have a GPS. Worse yet, she got lost on the way to the interview, and rather than asking someone in the neighborhood to help her, she called me. It took me five minutes to explain where the building was. Clearly this was not a person who was able to think on her own -- a deal breaker for a coordinator role." -- Abby Kohut, former hiring manager and author of "101 Job Search Secrets"

"Internally here when interviewing, we try and be somewhat forgiving as we understand everyone is only human. However, when the competition is high, there are things that can immediately remove people from consideration -- particularly if it's something that reflects on skills or attributes relevant to the job.

One of the big ones for us is spelling on a résumé, simply because it speaks to a person's attention to detail. If they can't check their own résumé over to ensure there are no mistakes, how could we expect them to do it once they get hired by one of our clients? So unless someone is a true superstar or has skills and experience that are in high demand, spelling mistakes are a deal breaker for us. The lesson here then is to make sure you triple-check your résumé before applying.

In addition, we've heard from a number of our clients about their personal deal breakers as well. While many are the same, we've definitely heard some unique ones. One hiring manager eliminated a short-listed candidate because her bra strap was showing. Another because a woman's skirt was too short. You never know the type of person you're going to be interviewing with and what type of quirky biases they may have. While some hiring managers' personal deal breakers might not exactly be fair to candidates, the bottom line is that they can and do eliminate candidates based on these personal judgments. Our best advice would be to err on the conservative or more professional side if you're ever in doubt." -- Greg Masiewich, manager, IQ Partners Inc.

There you have it, hiring deal breakers straight from the source. It appears that all of the disqualifiers mentioned above were caused by one thing: lack of professionalism. Remember, no detail is too small to be overlooked by a recruiter, so make sure you exude a professional demeanor during your job search. Whether it's in the way you dress, your manner of speaking, your online profile or even your cell-phone ring-back -- recruiters take everything into account.

10 Clues to Decoding the Interview

By Kate Lorenz, CareerBuilder.com Editor

Wonder whether you nailed that interview? While you won't truly know until you get "the call," there are many signs throughout the process that can help you determine whether or not you'll make the first cut. Following are questions and clues to help you decode the interview.

1. What is the interviewer doing?

"If I am interested in what a candidate is saying, I will nod my head, smile and likely jot down a few notes," says Inside Sales Manager Karen Nance. "I may also ask questions to probe further about what the applicant is talking about or share some thoughts on how this topic relates to the open position."

Nancy Kim-Phillips, owner of NKP Consulting in Chicago, says that candidates should observe the interviewer's body language for positive signs, "I find myself leaning forward when I'm interested in what someone has to say. I would expect the candidate to match my body language and lean in too."

Watch for negative signals as well. If the interviewer seems distracted, is checking her watch, shuffling papers or looking at his Blackberry, you're probably not captivating your audience. "I'll often put down my pen if I'm not feeling good about what the candidate is saying," she adds.

2. Were you engaged in dialogue?

"An interview is going well when there is a dialogue," Kim-Phillips says. "If I don't have to refer to a list of questions, and the conversation flows smoothly, it means there's a natural exchange of information we are both interested in. This can begin from the very first question, which is usually, 'So, tell me about yourself.'"

3. Did you hear positive verbal clues?

Lynn Hazan, owner of Chicago-based recruitment firm Lynn Hazan and Associates, says some interviewers may urge you on with positive words like, "Yes, go on...," "This is good..." or even "I like what I am hearing, tell me more..." These are all clear indicators that it's going well.

4. Were you reciting a monologue?
"A turn-off for me is if I ask a question and it becomes a monologue with a five-minute answer," Kim-Phillips says. In prepping candidates for interviews, Hazan suggests they prepare a concise 30-second and 60-second elevator pitch. "This, in a nutshell, is the ideal response to questions like, 'Why should hire you?'" she discloses. "I encourage candidates to practice in front of a mirror. There's no better way to judge how others see you than by seeing yourself," Hazan notes.

5. Did the interviewer interrupt you?

If the interviewer interrupts you or starts to look bored, it's time to change gears. Hazan suggests that candidates stop at the first sign of disinterest from the interviewer and ask a question like, "Am I answering your question?" Or "Would you like to hear more about this or would you like another example?" This may save the day and gives the interviewer a choice on where to proceed.

6. Did you ask questions?
As the conversation comes to a close, interviewers inevitably ask candidates if they have any questions. Kim-Phillips says that, "When I would ask, 'What questions do you have?' and there were none... that would close things out pretty quickly."

When interviewers give you the opportunity to ask questions, this is your cue to gain a better understanding of anything discussed during the interview. Questions like, "You said you want someone with a sales background; what else does an ideal candidate need to succeed in this position?" This is also a chance for you to demonstrate that you have done your homework on the company.

7. Were you asked about timing?
It's a good sign if you're asked about your availability. "I may start talking about time frame for making a decision, and ask 'How does this sound to you?' and 'How soon can you start?'" Kim-Phillips says.

"If I'm interested in someone, I want to know who my competition is," Nance adds. "I will ask, 'Where else have you interviewed?' and 'Do you have any other firm offers?'"

8. Were you a good fit?
The more the interviewer talks about what is going on in their company and how you will fit in, the better. Kim-Phillips says she never quite comes right out and says, 'I don't think this is a good match,' but might say 'We're really looking for the right match for this position.'

9. Were you invited to meet others in the company?
Nance and Kim-Phillips both say that if it is going well they'll mention that there are some other people they would like you to meet. They may even introduce you on the spot.

10. How long was the interview?
Most opinions about candidates are formed within the first few minutes. The rest of the time is spent validating these opinions. If an interview is less than a half hour, it's generally not a good sign. If you reach the one hour mark and the conversation is flowing enthusiastically and evenly between you and the interviewer, you may have hit a home run!

How to Answer: 'What Have You Been Doing Since You Were Laid Off?'

By Kaitlin Madden, CareerBuilder.com Writer

When you first lost your job, you spent your time wallowing in your sorrows -- eating ice cream in your pajamas and watching Judge Judy all afternoon.  Then your determination kicked in, and you decided to find a new job. You perused job boards, polished up your résumé, searched for old co-workers on LinkedIn -- and occasionally watched Judge Judy all afternoon. 

While this may be the truth about what you've been doing since your last job ended, telling this to a recruiter probably won't be all that impressive. Though looking for a job is an admirable and necessary task for those out of work, telling a recruiter about your job search won't set you apart from the pack.

So how do you answer the "What have you been doing" question in an interesting, unique and truthful manner?    

Focus on activities you've been involved with

For example, if you have three kids, tell the recruiter how you've been able to serve as team parent for your child's soccer team since you have more free time. Or, if you've spent your extra time going to the gym, talk about how you've been focusing on improving your health. These things show that you're making the best out of a less-than-ideal situation.  

Activities like volunteering and part-time work can also yield transferable job skills.  If you've been helping out a local charity with its online marketing efforts or putting in 20 hours a week as a part-time receptionist, relate the experience to the job you're applying for.

"There are tons of transferable skills that are gained from volunteer work and unpaid projects," says Susan Fletcher, psychologist and author of "Working in the Smart Zone." "Community involvement, events you've participated in or even been in charge of, volunteer boards you've served on and organizations you've been a member of provide a network and skill set similar to a paying job."

Highlight self-improvement

Have you been reading up on your industry in an effort to stay current? Did you recently start a blog about your field or try your hand at consulting?

"Our chief technology officer likes to ask people what they learned last month," says Daniel Ruby, research director at Chitka, an advertising company.  "[Whether it be] a new coding language or a new database structure -- keeping up on the latest emerging skill sets is a very good sign that this is someone we want to hire."

Showing an interviewer that you've been developing your skill set while unemployed demonstrates that you are motivated and interested in furthering your career and have a passion for your industry. "We've interviewed several people who were laid off and had been unemployed for a while," Ruby says. "Personally, I like to hear about entrepreneurial ventures they've tried, whether it's building an ad-powered website, starting an online store, etc.  Like many tech firms, we love seeing the entrepreneurial spirit in someone. If they started a company and failed, that's great, because they started a company and were actively working to control their own destiny."

Lay the groundwork

You can't give an interesting answer to the question "What have you been doing since you were laid off?" if you haven't been doing anything interesting.  Although it may be hard to concentrate on anything but finding a job, it shouldn't be your sole focus.  Taking on volunteer activities, signing up for a class that will improve your skills, doing contract work or joining a job-search support group will not only help you keep your sanity while you're unemployed, but will also make you more attractive to potential employers. 

Keys to Researching Your Next Employer

By Beth Braccio Hering

"I know right away when a candidate doesn't know the current news about our company," says Chris Brabec, director of leadership talent acquisition for Western Union. "If you don't know the CEO is retiring, or if a company made a big acquisition recently, that's not a good sign. If a candidate can't tell me what the company does (or thinks Western Union still does telegrams), that's another sign she hasn't done her homework."

In a job market where applicants frequently cast a wide net with the hope that anybody will respond, job seekers sometimes cut corners by not thoroughly checking out potential employers. But failure to know about the place you claim you want to work at can make you seem unprepared and disinterested -- and cost you a job offer.

Here, experts weigh in on things you should learn before seeking employment and how to find that information.

What to know

"Companies have told us that one of the things they use to weed out candidates is that the student didn't know anything about the company," says John M. Thompson, executive director of career services at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas.

Among the things Thompson encourages his students to find out are:

• What does the company do?
  
• What are its products?
  
• What is the company's mission?
  
• Where are its offices?
  
• How big is the company in terms of employees/revenue?
  
• How is it positioned in its industry?
  

  "Everyone, but particularly for more senior-level roles, should know our stock price," says Yolanda Bush, director of human resources for Western Union. "Research the company's leadership team and the company's efforts around corporate social responsibility. This will help candidates position themselves to discuss how their skills and experience will help us succeed in the marketplace."
  

Julie Rulis, a senior recruiter for Western Union's talent acquisition team, agrees with her colleague's advice and adds, "If you are doing an interview at a company, find out if it's in the Fortune 500 and where it is on that list. Even better: Find out where it was a year ago, and if it's different, maybe ask why. It shows you've done your homework. A job candidate should know our products and services beyond just the basics. With all the tools available nowadays, there's no excuse not to know."

How to play detective

The "tools" Rulis is referring to are all the different ways a job seeker can find information. Abby M. Locke, master résumé writer and personal brand strategist for Premier Writing Solutions in Seattle, offers these suggestions:

• Review the company's website.
  
• Read press releases.
  
• Pay attention to industry publications.
  
• Use Google alerts to stay on top of current company news.
  
• Do an informational interview with past or current employees.
  
• Talk to a representative at a career fair or trade show.
  
• Follow key decision-makers on Twitter.
  
• Use LinkedIn groups and other online social media tools.
  

Online directories such as Bloomberg and Standard & Poor's also give information on many businesses. For additional help in finding appropriate databases, job seekers may want to consult their local library or the college career center of their alma mater.

Show what you know

Finally, while you don't need to be a walking fact book, be ready to incorporate your knowledge of the company into correspondence and conversation when opportunities arise.

"I ask job candidates questions like what they know about the company beyond what's on the website, how they feel they fit in with our overall values and corporate culture, or what they found out about the company in their research that they didn't know before," Rulis says. "This is a great opportunity to show off your preparation -- talk about our competitors or the fact that you read that we're entering an entirely new business segment."

Get to know your potential employers, and chances are they will want to get to know  you.

How Do I Find A Job When Nobody Is Hiring?

By Chris Tidball

Which word best defines today's economy?

A.      Downsizing

B.      Layoffs

C.      Mergers

D.      Outsourcing

E.       All of the  above

In the morning paper and on the evening news, these buzzwords have become synonymous with the Great Recession, a time of chronically high unemployment with no end in sight.  

Businesses continue to scale back, leery of increasing taxes, regulations and mandates that have them hamstrung.  Making matters worse is that the unemployment rate, typically a lagging indicator of recovery, is likely to deteriorate before it improves.

It is often said that perception is reality, which is why it seems like nobody is hiring. The reality is that nobody is advertising, but there are jobs.  The key to finding those jobs is to seek out not jobs but business opportunities.

While employers will move away from hiring people in the traditional 9-to-5 sense, there is actually an uptick in independent contracting or business-to-business relationships that limit a company's exposure to the rising costs of health care, workers' compensation, litigation and disability.

Searching classifieds, enduring cattle calls and answering questions that have nothing to do with your ability aren't going to land you your dream job.  Rather, consider the following:

·         What talents do I have?

·         How can I put those talents to work?

·         How can someone benefit from what I have to offer?

·         How much am I willing to risk for more personal freedom?

·         What price would I pay for a better home/work balance?

As an individual looking for a job, you have the power to create the product to present to the potential employer from the perspective of a self-starting entrepreneur.   By actively seeking out decision makers in venues such as Rotary clubs, chambers of commerce or trade organizations, you are taking steps to move to the front of the line. By devising solutions and positioning yourself as a business partner willing to absorb some costs and risks traditionally borne by employers, you have become the embodiment of what will define employment in the 21^st century

In my own situation, I saw a 20-year career fall apart as a bank too big to fail nearly fell into the abyss. Despite the overwhelming odds, I used the knowledge I had gained during my tenure to develop multiple business solutions, which are being sold to a variety of organizations looking to decrease costs while increasing productivity and income. This success came because I recognized the changing economy and understood that my full-time job was to identify new revenue streams.

Through the prism of history we have seen recession followed by prosperity time and time again.  People who take great risks may reap great rewards. Carpe diem is Latin for "seize the day" and that day is now, for businesses and individuals alike, to begin their quest for a more prosperous and successful tomorrow.