07 Jul 10 Can Steve Jobs help you get hired?

Last night I attended the $timulus Book/Networking Group in West Chester, Ohio. Monte Washburn led the discussion about Carmine Gallo’s book, The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs: How to Be Insanely Great in Front of Any Audience(affiliate link).

The context of these discussions is always around how the principles within can help people in their job searches and careers.

Check out Monte’s blog post.

17 Examples of Great Presentation Design (hubspot.com)
Steve Jobs’ Strategies for Overcoming Presentation Glitches [Presentations] (lifehacker.com)
Business Analyst – Daniel Johnson, Jr. (howigotmyjob.com)

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Check out Daniel Johnson, Jr. on LinkedIn.

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Tags: branding, Carmine Gallo, interviewing, presentation, Steve Jobs

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07 Jan 10 Overcoming the dread of resume writing (BOOK REVIEW)

I made a confession on Twitter and Facebook yesterday: I hate writing resumes and cover letters and sending them off to people. I realize it’s a necessary part of the hiring process, but I’ve found it tedious and in some ways overwhelming.

I think the reason for this has to do with changing a career. I have a resume that somewhat worked for what I did at my last job, but, since I’m now moving in a different direction, I have to come up with a different resume. In my mind that often seems to be like an insurmountable task.

: Image by Olivier Charavel via Flickr

Last week I went to the library and browsed the books in the job hunting section for inspiration. I noticed this thin, tall book by fellow Cincinnatian Andrea Kay, entitled Resumes That Will Get You the Job You Want (affiliate link). This book was first written in 1997, and it contains a lot of things that are helping me overcome my dread of writing a resume.

Andrea writes in a real, down-to-earth style, and I love the approach that the book takes. She starts from having us inventory our strengths, expertise, and experience. Then she helps us get to the core of what we want to do and how we can make a difference, combining this into a thesis statement and objective. Once we do that, we’re able to put the accomplishment statements that support the thesis on the resume.

I’m still reading the book, but I wanted to let you know about it right now, because it’s actually given me hope that I can overcome my dread of writing a resume. I also have no problem recommending you check it out and use my affiliate link. Check it out at the library, or get it here.

Resume Help for Job Seekers (halliecrawford.typepad.com)
Good Cover Letter Techniques To Writing An Awesome One (slideshare.net)
Jumpstart your job search using the best online and offline strategies! (halliecrawford.typepad.com)
Using Social Networking Sites for Job Searching (timesunion.com)

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Tags: Andrea Kay, book review, Cover letter, Resumes and Portfolios, Writing

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30 Jan 09 I have a document like this and so should you

See what I mean A coworker just commended me on something through an instant message (IM):

“Thanks, you saved me today with your help.”

It reminded me that I have a document for comments like this, so I added it to the “Quotes about my Performance” document I have. You should have one, too.

Why you should have this

A document like this is important for several reasons. I’ll include some ones I have, and I encourage you to add to the list in the comments:

Credibility of your accomplishments. It serves as a record of your accomplishments in someone else’s words.
Recommendations. Comments like these can be used in promotional material for yourself.
Cover letters. Specifically, reinforce a point made in a cover letter with a quote from a coworker or client about what you’ve done.
Encouragement. When you feel down or discouraged, you can refer to this list and remember that you have done something others have found valuable
References. Chances are if people have praised your work before, they might serve as references. Feel free to remind them what they’ve said if they have forgotten.

Where to find them

I’ve identified some places where you find quotes from others about you. Feel free to add to the list in the comments:

E-mail. If you have worked where you send and receive e-mail, you probably have some messages with morsels of praise within. Find those messages. I have often forwarded work messages with content like this to my personal account for this very purpose.
Performance Reviews. Chances are, if your company does performance reviews, your boss or manager has said something nice about what you’ve done, and you have a copy of it somewhere.
LinkedIn Recommendations. If you’re on LinkedIn (and you should be if you’re reading this blog- we should even be connected!), you can ask your connections for recommendations. Not only are they useful on your profile over there, but you can include them in this list.
Blog/Twitter trackbacks. If someone whose opinion you value highly has commended you in a blog post, on Twitter, or through some other form of “new media,” you can use Google Alerts and Twitter Search to find those comments.
Audio. I may be reaching a bit, but, let’s say you listen to a podcast or interview, or have been interviewed by someone else. Chances are you’re being interviewed because someone finds what you have to say important.

Start creating one

There are a few ways you can start creating a list like this:

Handwritten. Get yourself a notebook and start recording these comments in it. I used to have a page in a Franklin Planner many years ago for this. This might get time consuming, though, and you’ll have to be careful not to misplace your notebook.
Word. Create a document in Microsoft Word or other word-processing software and start adding to the list. But you’ll need to save this document somewhere and hope you’re able to keep track of it.
Online. I use Google Docs for this purpose, since I’m able to carry my Google account with me wherever I go, even if I leave an employer and have to give the computer back.
UPDATE: Jason mentions that the JibberJobber Job Journal is a great way to do this, and it’s now available in the free level.

RT @danieljohnsonjr: (via Get That Job!) I have a document like this and so should you: http://tinyurl.com/gtj-doc

Elements of a Good LinkedIn Recommendation (chrisbrogan.com)
Three Books to Check Out (chrisbrogan.com)
Open up most files with Google Docs automatically (news.cnet.com)

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Tags: Franklin Planner, Google Docs, linkedin, Performance Review, twitter, Twitter Search

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25 Oct 07 Crying While Eating – Never Eat Alone version

I thought you’d appreciate this tongue-in-cheek video:

What I’m eating: hot and sour soup
Why I’m crying: reading Never Eat Alone: And Other Secrets to Success, One Relationship at a Time. Alone.

–> more crying while eating

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23 Jun 07 Overcoming Excuses in a Job Search (video)

In lieu of a text post, and as part of the testing effort for Blogger in Draft, I’ve uploaded a video about a book I’ve started re-reading. I also mentioned the Journey Inside My Mind Podcast but forgot to mention the URL: http://jimmpodcast.com.

Visit DiversityJobs.com for information on Diversity in the workplace.

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22 Mar 07 Make a Personal Connection!

Chris at LifeHack.org recently shared some thoughts on effective networking (“Meet People NOT Business Cards – lifehack.org“). If you’re like me, you’ve tended to use these events as opportunities to amass a big collection of business cards. But that’s not the point of the meeting, really, is it? Here are my comments to the article:

I hear you, Chris. I just read something along the same lines in Keith Ferrazzi’s book Never Eat Alone: And Other Secrets to Success, One Relationship at a Time. If you collect a bunch of business cards without making a personal connection, you’re left with a phone list from which to make cold calls.

Now, let’s transfer these thoughts into collecting contacts on internet social networks, okay?

I see people blindly adding friends on social networking sites like MySpace, LinkedIn, Twitter, and others, the same way people collect business cards. There are various reasons to do this; the most obvious is to make themselves look important, which is something that motivates some people. If people see someone with lots of contacts, they will begin to think of them as an expert in their field. I’m a bit torn on this myself, to be honest.

Just remember that the personal connection is what matters. What are you doing right now to make and reinforce the personal connection with your contacts? What are your thoughts on the effectiveness of amassing large numbers of contacts?

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17 Feb 07 Job-hunting success story – right out of college

I am very proud of how I landed my first job out of college. I had spent lots of time at the library, researching the hidden job market and looking for leads. I had posted a resume at the University of Cincinnati’s Career Development and Placement office, and I guess they made a database available to recruiters.

My sister had recommended a book entitled “300 New Ways to Get a Better Job”, and, for the life of me right now, I cannot remember the author’s name. Nevertheless, I found that very useful.

One summer day in 1994, Mark, the Environmental, Health, and Safety Manager for a company that manufactured decorative items for homes, called me. What was meant as an initial screening call turned into a full-fledged telephone interview. When I hung up, I had made an appointment for an in-person interview. Not having a car of my own, I was able to borrow a friend’s. I spent the next days before the interview at the library, researching all I could on the company.

At the interview my enthusiasm for the position as an Environmental Engineer was strengthened, especially as I convinced Mark to take me on a quick tour of the plant. I made sure to share some of the information I had found from my own research, which seemed to impress Mark and Jim, the HR Manager who also attended the interview. At the end of the interview, I asked what more I could do to qualify for the job, conveying my strong interest.

Immediately when I returned home, I typed up a thank you note to both Mark and the HR Manager who also interviewed me. Then I both faxed and mailed it.

Within a week Mark called me to offer me the job. I accepted it and wound up moving an hour north to Dayton, Ohio, where I lived for ten years.

Do you have a job-hunting success story you’d like to share? Please send it to me at danieljohnsonjr [at] gmail [dot] com.

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29 Jan 07 You are a business unit

I’ve been reading David Schwartz’s book The Magic of Thinking Big, and I’m currently going through a chapter about goals. We all should approach our lives the way businesses do when it comes to setting goals. Here’s an excerpt from the chapter I’m reading:

Like the progressive corporation, plan ahead. You are in a sense a business unit. Your talent, skills, and abilities are your ‘products.’ You want to develop your products, so they command the highest possible price. Forward planning will do it.

Here are two steps which will help:

First, visualize your future in terms of three departments: work, home, and social. Dividing your life this way keeps you from becoming confused, prevents conflicts, helps you look at the whole picture.

Second, demand of yourself clear, precise answers to these questions:

What do I want to accomplish with my life?

What do I want to be?

What does it take to satisfy me?

Just like in any business unit, there is sure to be integration among the departments, but this example really has me thinking about my own life. I have been reluctant to set goals in the past because I’ve had a low self-confidence. Now that it’s gotten much better, I’m thinking BIG and ready to set goals.

How about you? What do you think of all this?

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19 Dec 06 Connect with Long-lost Contacts This Holiday Season

Anyone else remember this jingle:

Reach out, reach out and touch someone
Reach out, reach out and just say ‘Hi’

I remember the commercials on TV and the radio, encouraging us to call friends and family.

I bring this up because we are now in the midst of the holiday season, which is a great excuse to get back in touch with people in your address book, contact list, or other network list. So why not reach out and touch someone in your network this season?

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21 Sep 06 Job Security

From the Contract Employee’s Handbook, Appendix B: Glossary of Terms for Contract Professionals:

Job security: Job security is an urban myth. The myth of job security owes its origin to the common misconception among employees that they are somehow entitled to keep their employment with a given company in perpetuity. In fact, there is no job security. Employment with a given company is not an entitlement, and the right to continued employment is a myth. Another urban myth is that of job loyalty. Job loyalty arises from the misconception among many employees that if they show loyalty to their employer, their employer will reciprocate with loyalty toward the employee. As Dan Pink points out in his enlightened book Free Agent Nation, conventional wisdom dictates that workers trade loyalty for security, when, in fact, a more realistic assessment shows that workers instead trade talent for opportunity.

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07 Jul 10 Can Steve Jobs help you get hired?

07 Jan 10 Overcoming the dread of resume writing (BOOK REVIEW)

30 Jan 09 I have a document like this and so should you

Why you should have this

Where to find them

Start creating one

25 Oct 07 Crying While Eating – Never Eat Alone version

23 Jun 07 Overcoming Excuses in a Job Search (video)

22 Mar 07 Make a Personal Connection!

17 Feb 07 Job-hunting success story – right out of college

29 Jan 07 You are a business unit

19 Dec 06 Connect with Long-lost Contacts This Holiday Season

21 Sep 06 Job Security

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07 Jul 10 Can Steve Jobs help you get hired?

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07 Jan 10 Overcoming the dread of resume writing (BOOK REVIEW)

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30 Jan 09 I have a document like this and so should you

Why you should have this

Where to find them

Start creating one

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25 Oct 07 Crying While Eating – Never Eat Alone version

23 Jun 07 Overcoming Excuses in a Job Search (video)

22 Mar 07 Make a Personal Connection!

17 Feb 07 Job-hunting success story – right out of college

29 Jan 07 You are a business unit

19 Dec 06 Connect with Long-lost Contacts This Holiday Season

21 Sep 06 Job Security

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