darcylear.com
August 1, 2014 - In This Issue:
Be proactive in planning your career path, but know you have to take things one step at a time.

JUMP START YOUR JOB SEARCH
Great advice for job seekers... 

From Undergrad Success

 
Undergrad Success posted a great list of the top job interview mistakes. And they all come down to this: prepare for your job interviews!

From Social-Hire.com:
 

Brian Stewart lays out clear advice for researching a company before you apply. 
 
The most important takeaway: don't ever submit a generic cover letter and resume in response to a job ad! You must customize your documents for each application. 

Here are links to content that has been popular on darcylear.com: 


darcylear.com's YouTube channel has exceeded 1,000 views. The most popular clips? Without a doubt, the "before and after" answers to mock interview questions. See the difference between struggling to answer interview questions when you enter an interview unprepared and the polished answers that come from coaching & preparation.


Why six seconds? Because that's how long the average recruiter or hiring manager is likely to spend looking at it. And this is just one way in which you have to think from the perspective of those who receive your job search materials. Then you have to spend a lot more than six seconds working on those documents!
JOB SEARCH TIPS
What's the Role of LinkedIn In Your Job Search?
 
I was thrilled to hear this report from Sally Herships on Marketplace last month: 

 

This is exactly what I have been looking for for a long time: a take on LinkedIn from someone not affiliated with LinkedIn.  

For me, there are three big takeaways from this story:  

  • Be an updater
  • Be a joiner
  • Remember who the paid users are--recruiters
Here is my take on each of those:
 
1) Be an updater.  Maintain your LinkedIn profile so that you are virtually networking all the time. When you update your profile, you're getting yourself in front of more eyes; peers, colleagues, and recruiters see what you're doing and that your career is not static. 
 
2) Be a joiner. Join LInkedIn groups related to your areas of interest--particularly your areas of professional interest.  This helps your profile come to the attention of recruiters and employers with shared professional interests. It also provides LinkedIn with information that it uses to push information to you that will be of most interest to you. 
 
3) Remember that the paid users of LinkedIn are recruitersAnd recruiters work for employers, not candidates.  Of course, it is in their best interest for you to present yourself as the best candidate you can be, but don't mistake a recruiter's interest in you for representation of your best interests.  
 
This clear report on the workings of LinkedIn answered all of my lingering questions and now I will be a more educated user of the online platform--both as I maintain my profile and promote LinkedIn as a career coach. 
Forward This Link to a Friend Who Is Struggling to Incorporate LinkedIn into the Job Search
COMING UP...
From Full Service to A-La-Carte Career Coaching
Wether you need weekly meetings to work through the entire job search process, support to craft a winning professional school application, a clear understanding of what it means to customize your resume and cover letter, or a quick review of your one-page resume, I have a service for you.

Details are online at Job and Career Transition services.  


Darcy Lear, PhD
919-793-4429
darcylear@gmail.com


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