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 12                                                     December 2013
Riklan Resources, LLC
 (800) 540-3609
 
A leading resume and career services company assisting clients in the 
New Jersey/New York metropolitan area and globally
 
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Greetings! 

 
Welcome to December's career newsletter! 

 

Shopping for a New Job

 

Ah, to be a kid again, to feel excited as the holiday season approaches so you can finally open your presents. The holidays might not be as fun for adults because of all the shopping and holiday preparation, but there's an upside to the increased consumerism this season brings.

 

Shopping for holiday gifts is similar to shopping for your next job, many of the shopping and bargain hunting tricks you learn this season could help with your job search. 

 

Still not seeing the connection between the two? Let me help you.

 

The early bird gets the bargain

You know what it's like shopping for gifts at the last minute right? The choices are limited, the size/color you're looking for is not available and there are too many people hoping to get a last minute gift. The same applies when you're looking for a job. If you see a job ad that looks promising, send your application right away. If you wait too long, you might miss the application period, or worse, another applicant might have already landed the job.

 

Keep notes of what you've bought

Savvy and organized shoppers keep lists of everything they need to buy so they can easily check off items once it's bought and wrapped. Keeping track of things is also important in job hunting. Keeping a list of the applications allows you to monitor the progress of your application. Your notes can include the status of your application, company's contact info, and a date when you should call to follow-up and other pertinent information. (Check out JibberJobber.com. JibberJobber is an excellent tool for this!)

 

Job ads are like wish lists

It's easier to buy a gift for someone who knows what they want, right? That's what wish lists are for... It gives you an idea of what the recipient wants. Now when it comes to job hunting, the job ad is there to tell applicants what the employer is looking for. It's their hiring wish list, if you want to get the job, your resume and cover letter should reflect the qualities and skills indicated in the job posting.

 

Happy and safe holidays to all!

 

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].

 

 


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What to Expect in a Holiday Job Hunt

by Michelle A. Riklan, ACRW, CPRW, CEIC

 

Do you plan on waiting until the holidays are over to continue your job search? That kind of thinking might cost you a job offer.

 

Don't stop sending job applications just because of the holidays. Businesses don't come to a grinding halt during holidays, right? Companies don't stop hiring just because majority of the year's holidays are bunched up together towards the end of the year. Remember, even if a company doesn't hire in December, the first two weeks of January up until February are always high hiring months. If you take advantage of the year-end break, you'll be on top of the queue once the hiring process is in full swing.

 

Take advantage of this down time! When other job applicants are doing their Christmas shopping or sipping eggnog, make yourself busy by sending out your resume or dropping a friendly "Happy Holidays" e-mail, voicemail, or personal note to your network.

 

Job hunting during the holidays is almost the same as regular months, with a few minor exceptions...

 

Be prepared for last-minute interviews

Key decision makers are on leave, or maybe they're busy attending parties and networking events. The point is, the people who are supposed to do the job interview won't be spending much of their working hours in the office this month so because of this, some interviews might be moved, cancelled or re-scheduled at a short notice. Being the applicant who agrees to an interview on short notice can give you a leg up, even against more qualified candidates. Who knows, if the job is urgent, you might even get an offer on the spot.

 

Party... Wisely

If you choose which events to attend solely on the merit of how interesting the party might be, then you're missing out on one of the biggest month-long networking opportunities of the year.

It's the time of year when people are extra kind, and are more than willing to put in a good word for you, or perhaps introduce you to a friend of a friend who needs someone with your skill set. It's the most wonderful time of the year indeed, especially if you're asking people for help in your job hunt.

 

Make it easy for people to remember you by bringing some business cards. It doesn't have to be fancy, a simple card with your name, email address, phone number and LinkedIn profile URL will do.

 

Be smart. A lot of parties mean a lot of photo opportunities.  Make sure no one can question your behavior or insinuate lack of professionalism. If a picture at a party shows up on a social media site, make sure you are perceived as professional, even in a festive surrounding.

 

Follow up with caution

It's December, so expect some delays in the response times of the recruiter or hiring company, but don't be tempted to follow up immediately after the 25th or New Year's. I'm sure the recipient of your email won't appreciate it.

 

On the other hand, don't just assume the worst if you don't hear back from a potential employer. Your email might have been buried in their inbox, or perhaps because of the time that passed, they assumed that you already found another job. In other cases, the position you applied for has already been filled and there's another opening but the recruiter didn't think to call you back because they assumed you already have a new job. Spending an extra five minutes writing a follow up email won't hurt, plus it will remind people of your application.

 

Now you might say, "I need a break; I'll be busy shopping and spending time with the family so I'll just start again next year."

 

But you'll have more competition next year! That's when other job applicants would have been back from their vacations. That's also the time when currently employed job applicants will begin looking for a new job after deciding that they're not happy with their current job and that it's their New Year's resolution to look for another work.

 

So get ahead of the competition! That doesn't mean you can't take the time to kick back by the fire and enjoy some personal time, just carve out time to keep the job search as a priority!

 

  
Five Unexpected Places to Enhance Your Reputation
by Hannah Morgan, Founder, CareerSherpa.net
 
We all have a message we want to share. Your message could be how great your business is, or news about a new product/service you are releasing, or the fact that you are a talented and accomplished professional. No matter what your message is, your personal reputation is part of the message. Now is the time to think about how you will take control over your online reputation by building it. There are numerous creative ways to get the good news out there, but these are five you may have overlooked.

  

One Stop Viewing: About.me

Where is the one place online someone can go to learn the most about you or your business? Hopefully it is your website. Another alternative is an About.me page. About.me makes it easy. Within minutes, you can upload a photo that represents your personal brand, write a snappy bio, and add links to your social networks and web pages. What you get is a single web page illustrating who you are and what you do and links to your social outlets.

  

Build An Infographic with Vizify

It doesn't take a lot of time or creativity create visual representation of the professional version of you. With Vizify.com, simply connect your LinkedIn profile and any other social networking sites and you've got a slick infographic or visual representation of your work history, education, places you've lived, favorite quote and even your superpower (a bite sized infographic highlighting your most marketable quality or talent.) There are many options for you to customize the content and look of your infographic so it reflects just what you want it to.

  

Show Off with SlideShare

We've all seen presentations and maybe given a few as well. Would you like to give them more exposure? Try uploading your next presentation for all to see on SlideShare. Don't have a presentation? Don't worry. Your SlideShare presentation could consist of a collection of testimonials or samples of your work in one, easy to follow online document.

  

Tell Your Story with Prezi

Prezi is a close cousin to SlideShare. It creates moving presentations that feel more like movies. As they say on their site, "[a] visual story has a flow and narrative, where images and words work together to present an idea or lesson."  Perhaps the story you want to share is about you. You can create a "Presume" by using one of their templates (or create your own professional biography.)

  

Make LinkedIn Even Better By Adding Media

Once you have created one or all of these online representations of your talent and expertise, include them in your LinkedIn profile. LinkedIn is rolling out the ability to embed media in profiles to all its users. Consider adding your Presume in the Summary section of your profile along with your Vizify infographic. Use Slideshare testimonials to highlight your performance on a project under the Work Experience section. LinkedIn is now more than a static, stagnant resume. It is an interactive portfolio representing your online reputation.

  

Some final reminders

All the tools in the world won't help you to stand out or build a reputation if you haven't thought what you want to be recognized for. Nail this down first and then remember these important points:

  • Take a stand, present your truly unique qualities and skills.  
  • Consistency is queen. Use the same key phrases and photos across different social networks.
  • Don't just build it. Share it. Let people know and make it easy to find by linking to these other sites.
  • Never exaggerate, lie or plagiarize. 
 
________________________________
Hannah Morgan is a career and social media strategist. Hannah founded Career Sherpa.net as a platform to educate job seekers on the treacherous terrain of today's job market and traverse the competitive landscape. Hannah co-authored "Social Networking For Business Success: How To Turn Your Ideas Into Income" in late 2013. Hannah's work has been featured in US News & World Report, Business Insider, and Yahoo; and she was recognized by Monster.com as one of the top 11 job search bloggers to watch. When Hannah isn't writing, you can find her delivering presentations designed to motivate and kick social networking usage up a notch. 
Visit her site to learn more www.careersherpa.net.

 

 

Promote Yourself: The New Rules for Career Success
By Dan Schawbel

 
Promote Yourself: The New Rules for Career Success
by Dan Schawbel by St. Martin's Press
 
Hardcover ~ Release Date: 2013-09-03
 
List Price: $24.99
Our Price: $11.62
 
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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]. 

 

 

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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.
 
 
What's Happening at Riklan Resources 

 

Upcoming Speaking Engagements: 

  • Club Manager's Association of America World Conference, Orlando - February 2014
  • American Society of Association Executives (ASAE): The Great Ideas Conference, Orlando - March 2014
  • Career Thought Leaders "Framing the Future," Baltimore - April 2014
  • American Society of Training and Development (ASTD) International Conference & Exposition, Washington DC - May 2014

 

Book Launch:  

January 2014 - "101 Great Ways to Compete in Today's Job Market"

 

 

In This Issue
Shopping for a New Job
What to Expect in a Holiday Job Hunt
Five Unexpected Places to Enhance Your Reputation
Promote Yourself: The New Rules of Career Success
101 Great Ways to Enhance Your Career
What's Happening at Riklan Resources
Quick Links




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