Michelle A. Riklan

Certified Resume Writer, Career Coach, LinkedIn Profile Writer, Trainer, Facilitator, Author, Columnist, Speaker

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Career Newsletter
Volume II, Issue 3                                                          March 2013

Riklan Resources, LLC
522 Highway 9 North #290
Manalapan, New Jersey 07726
(800) 540-3609
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Greetings!

Welcome to our career newsletter! 

 

I recently met an individual who I would classify as "down on his luck." He simply came to me hoping for some friendly advice. He is not my client. He showed me the resume that a colleague helped him to craft, and I agreed it was a strong document. He had a plan and was following several job search success programs. His resume is out there and so is he--working on his LinkedIn profile, tirelessly attending networking events, reaching out to every contact he has, targeting companies of interest and requesting informational interviews. He has aligned himself with recruiters and takes his full-time job-search very seriously. He has created a wonderful portfolio of strong marketing materials. So is he just experiencing bad luck?

It's a tough question. What do you do when it seems you are doing everything right and you just can't get a break? I have a few personal thoughts on this topic and invite all of my readers to join my LinkedIn Group "101 Great Ways to Enhance Your Career" to further discuss this question.

101 Great Ways to Enhance Your Career - click on the link to join the discussion.

For now, I offer the following: If there is no pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, you may need to climb a different rainbow and even weather a few rain clouds along the way. While career change may be an unsettling concept, it can also be an exciting experience of self discovery and new opportunity. At least be open to the idea. Work with a career coach who can help to guide you and explore your transferable skills, interests, strengths, and obstacles.

Sometimes we need to make our own luck! For all of those people going green this weekend, have a Happy St. Patrick's Day. 

 

Kind regards,   

  

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Our list is growing! If you would like to advertise in future issues, please send an e-mail to [email protected].

 

Please feel free to send suggestions for improvement and additional areas that you would like to see covered in future issues to [email protected].   

 

 

DASHING Cover Letters

by Michelle A. Riklan, ACRW, CPRW, CEIC

 

Are Cover Letters Important?

 

Yes. While some may argue that a cover letter is an "extra step," I say it is an expected step when sending out your resume. Outside of the fact that omitting the cover letter can be perceived as being lazy, we exist in a very competitive job-market, and a well-written cover letter is a tool that can help to position you ahead of the competition.

 

Covers letter are intended to spark the interest of the reader and to compel the reader to take action steps based on what they have read. Your cover letter is your "call to action." This is the tool that asks for an interview.

 

Are there any specific "rules" for how to write a cover letter? The only absolute rule is that you must have one. Cover letters do not have a set format or style; they can be creative or conservative, depending on where you are sending your materials. They will change to best address each particular opportunity.

 

Below are a few tips for crafting a DASHING document:

 

-D- Define who you are right from the start. Your reader will not want to go "digging" to figure it out.
 
-A- Attract the reader with something that is visually appealing. If your cover letter looks like a template or it looks like it was typed out on a typewriter, then you will not stand out amongst the competition.

 

-S- Showcase your skills, qualification, and experiences that have earned you recognition.

 

-H- Highlight career achievements that are relevant to the position.

 

-I- Illustrate that you have done your homework about the company and explain the value that you could add.

 

-N- Note any changes that need to be made; spelling errors, grammatical issues, etc.  Make sure your document is error free.

 

-G- Get it out! Your cover letter and your resume are only going to work well for you if you get busy and get them seen.

 

Candidates who cannot be bothered to put together an effective resume cover letter do not demand the same consideration as the candidate who takes the time to put his/her best foot forward. Don't underestimate the power of a well-constructed cover-letter. It can be the difference between receiving a call for an interview, or not.

 

 

How to Become a Job Offer Magnet
by Mary Elizabeth Bradford, CARW, CMCD
 
As a professional you have particular skills and abilities in the ways you can help companies grow or operate more smoothly or achieve their goals. Spending some quality time looking inward and identifying what you love to do (and what happens when you do it) is an important part of your job search success.

But what if you are one of those people that cringe when it comes time to communicate those strengths and "sell" yourself in a job interview?

I would like to offer you another perspective or belief system about what selling is - different from the one you might have now. It's so important you know how to sell yourself because when you are able to communicate your strengths in a way that compels others, you are doing yourself and them a great favor. After all, you can't help a company that doesn't hire you.

To boost your know-like-and-trust factor in your job interviews, it's vital you know how to encourage potential employers to hire you in a way that's ethical, full of integrity and authentically you.

What this means for you is that you will attract the interest of more employers, receive bigger and better job offers, and feel confident in the way you're communicating the ways that you can help potential employers get the results they want...and that only you can deliver. So everyone gets what they want and desire.

So, here are three tips to help get you started:

Tip #1: Steer the interview by frequently mentioning your value
So, if you're offering turnaround expertise, you will frequently refer to your turnaround projects.

If you are a marketing expert, you will frequently share the results of your marketing efforts throughout the interview.

By focusing on the results you get, you will quickly and easily build the value of who you can be to your potential employers.

Tip #2: Create before and after stories
Everybody loves to hear before and after stories, even in an interview setting. And the best ones clearly paint a before and after picture (and the worse the better - so don't hold back!).

Think of all the problems, challenges and dire situations with your past company (or companies) and how great things are now that you have helped them.

Tip #3: Make THEM an offer they can't resist
The point is to create an "offer" that's so irresistible, your interviewers think, "We have to hire this person!" 

To do this, you need to offer something they believe they can't get anywhere else. Be creative!

Here are a couple examples:

One of my clients quickly received a robust offer because HE offered to produce at least two potential solutions to a challenge the company was facing and he said he would do it in 60 days.

Another client of mine set up as part of her interview process a 1/2 day on-site observation of the potential employer's media company. She then presented an outline of 10 ideas to improve their work environment and boost their ratings. They offered her a whopping 100k over what she had been making previously. All this even after she was let go from that previous position. I love it.

When you learn how to communicate to your interviewers that you are willing to invest getting the right information into their hands that is going to help them, you are removing all the obstacles (including money, time and your competition) that might otherwise stand between you and the job offer(s) you want.

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Would you like to learn how to quickly and easily get more interviews, shorten your job search and increase your salary? Check out my website: http://www.maryelizabethbradford.com, for free articles, free resources and to sign up for my free audio mini-seminar "5 Simple Steps To Find, Focus On and WIN Your Dream Job - Starting Today!" Internationally Certified Advanced Resume Writer, Job-Search Coach and Internationally Certified Master Career Director Mary Elizabeth Bradford is "The Career Artisan."

 

Suggested Reading: Quitter: Closing the Gap Between Your Day Job and Your Dream Job
By Jon Acuff

Quitter: Closing the Gap Between Your Day Job & Your Dream Job
by Jon Acuff, Lampo Press
Hardcover
 
List Price: $19.99
Our Price: $12.25
 
Buy Now
 

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If you have a favorite career book to suggest or an article that you'd like to submit for our upcoming issues, please send your information to [email protected]. 

What's Happening at Riklan Resources

We have led some very exciting programs over the past month!

  • LinkedIn Webinar: "Connecting and Networking in the 21st Century" for the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE). with Marshall Brown of Marshall Brown & Associates
  • LinkedIn Webinar:  "If You Aren't on LinkedIn, You Don't Exist." public teleseminar with Marshall Brown of Marshall Brown & Associates
  • Social Media Strategies: Using Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn & YouTube, Club Managers Association of America (CMAA) International Conference
  • In-house "It's OK to be the Boss" full-day management training for 29 association individuals with Marshall Brown of Marshall Brown & Associates
  • Community Career Corner Presentation "Resumes 101" with N .Rheingold, Career Consultant.

Coming Soon...

  • LinkedIn Webinar: "Connecting and Networking in the 21st Century" for the American Society of Training and Development (ASTD) with Marshall Brown of Marshall Brown & Associates

 

 

 

101 Great Ways to Enhance Your Career
As featured on ABC News--Get your copy today!

Receive up to $1500 worth of free bonuses with your purchase
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-  7 Steps to the Job You Want
-  Mastering the Job Interview
-  One-on-One Career Coaching Session
-  Check Your Resume Before You Send It
-  101+ Job Search Tips
-  21 Body Language Tips for Career Success
-  7 Secrets to Financial Freedom
-  MORE on the Art of Cultivating Professional References
-  Flip on Your Success Switch! How to Start Creating a Successful Life
-  Success Tweets eBook
-  Successful Business Strategies eBooke
-  The 10 Best Kept Secrets for Remembering Your Dreams
-   From Impossible to Possible is a Quest
-   5 Critical Mistakes You Are Making in Your Career

 

Click here to order the complete collection of 101 insider secrets that show you how to instantly and positively enhance your career

Join our LinkedIn Group!

 

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Do you have a career related product or service that you would like to promote in our upcoming newsletters? Contact us at  [email protected] for more information.
In This Issue
DASHING Cover Letters
How to Become a Job Offer Magnet
Quitter: Closing the Gap Between Your Day Job and Your Dream Job
What's Happening at Riklan Resources
101 Great Ways to Enhance Your Career
Quick Links



In the Media


Inspirational Thought

I'm a great believer in luck, and I find that the harder I work, the more I have of it.

 

-- Thomas Jefferson
About Riklan Resource

 

Riklan Resources offers the following services:
  • Resumes that land on the top of the pile!
  • Coaching that puts you ahead of the competition.
  • Training that ensures career advancement.

We want you to reach your top potential!

  

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