Welcome to Ms. Career Girl’s shortest blog post ever. 

I had some really interesting conversations this weekend that really got me thinking. I’m sure you’ll hear more about these soon. 

Here’s one fragment for you to chew on for today.

What would you do if you were given $1,000,000 right now? (Tax free, no strings attached)

• How would this money change your life?  Your career? 
• Would it change the types of people you date?
• Would you move? 
• Would you feel more confident?
• What’s the first thing you would buy?
• Would you give any away?

Money is a really interesting (and psychological) thing.  I’m very curious about your responses.

What would a recruiter say?

Do you think cover letters are a necessity? Any Tips?

Cover letters are only necessary because every other job candidate is sending them. Recruiters, including myself, don’t read them, unless forced to. We will read them if the position is writing intensive, the hiring manager specifically asks for them, or if the resume says something absurd or ridiculous which would hint at an amusing cover letter. My tip is to write a cover letter that is easy to tweak and change. Send with each position applied for, but don’t expect it to be read.

Anything not to do?

Don’t send as an attachment. Recruiters don’t want to open up more than one attachment. Insert it into the body of the e-mail and it will almost force us to read your cover letter

Thoughts about structure and/or things to include in networking emails/cover letters from college seniors to people they have never met before?

Networking emails- they should be kept short. Keep to a few sentences. Students should explain why they are reaching out, and who has connected them if applicable.

The structure of a cover letter should be 3 paragraphs. 3 SHORT paragraphs please!

1. First paragraph explaining who they are, how they learned about the position, and why they are interested.
2. Second paragraph should be why they are a fit (explain skills and experience).
3. Third should be a nice closing paragraph thanking them for reading the cover letter.

Do I need a Cover Letter?

The short answer is yes.

I am not a recruiter or an HR professional. I’m just someone who is fascinated by everything career related.  Therefore, here are my thoughts on cover letters:

• Most positions require you to have a cover letter. This is even true of automated and computerized application systems (which scare me).
• If you are applying via an automated computerized system without having talked to a hiring person first, make sure to include tons of keywords. Make sure the keywords you use match the job description and the experience they are looking for. Unfortunately, a human isn’t going to see your stuff unless you make the computer’s initial search criteria (which depends on keywords).
• For some positions, a cover letter is a merely a formality. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t care. For example, I currently work for a huge company. I had already interviewed and verbally accepted their offer before I applied online. The online system required a cover letter for the application to be complete. I highly doubt anyone read that letter, but if they look back on my file for a future position, future reference or promotion, they may.
• Cover letters can get you a job at a smaller company. My last job was at a Chicago-based bank. Not a tiny company by any means, but the recruiting process was much more personal. I spent a long ass time on making sure that cover letter was perfect for that position.  In hindsight, I know that this team was focused on finding the right personality fit for their team of 5 and someone who would do a great job taking care of their commercial clients. When I interviewed with 3 of the team members and one HR person, all four people said it was my cover letter that brought me in. I applied for the job via careerbuilder.com and somehow my cover letter made it through the masses (which still shocks me).

Common Cover Letter Mistakes

• You write too much. No one cares. If you can say the same thing using 5 words instead of 10, do it.  Please keep in mind that most professionals get hundreds of emails a day. We hate reading more than we have to, long paragraphs or things that are not visually appealing. You win if you are consice and effective.
• You write one general cover letter for every position you apply for. Not ok. Every cover letter needs to be tailored to the position you are applying for. Take the size of the organization and the specific job description into consideration (and don’t forget about keywords!).  I know it’s annoying, but the good news is, you can keep your cover letter short!
• You talk all about yourself instead of how you can add value to their company/the position. “I did this, I did that, I studied abroad, I was the president of my sorority…” That’s nice! This is not about you, it is about them.
  • Instead, use specifics on how you added value. If the job description is looking for someone who can create marketing campaigns, tell them that you the reason you are looking to create marketing campaigns is because you executed a marketing campaign for your sorority’s philanthropy by using marketing channels a, b, c which resulted in x,000 attendees and raising $x,000 for charity.
• You write about things that are not in your resume. Your resume and cover letter go together, right? Your resume is ultimately what they hold you to. So if you show how you can add value to their company in your cover letter, why wouldn’t you do this in your resume? Tweak your resume and cover letter in order to parallel your experience with what they are looking for. This shows they you require less hand holding and training. Busy hiring professionals love candidates like this.
• You forget a “call to action” at the end of the letter. Do you want to meet them? Do you want to call them? End by thanking them and asking them for something. Following up is not a bad thing either.
• You use generic career cliches that don’t really tell hiring managers anything. This one deserves its own section…

Cliches to avoid

Check out this article on resume cliches. These tips are applicable to both your resume and your cover letter.

• “I’m ambitious and eager to learn.”
• “If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to call.” NEWS FLASH: they are never going to call!
• “I give 100% every day.” That’s nice. And stupid to put in a cover letter.
• “I’m a people person.” Everyone interviewing for a sales position is going to say this. Find another way to say it. I would probably cut your app if I saw this.
• “Although I do not yet have related experience, I am very interested in XYZ position because it was my dream to work in this industry.” Kiss your dream good bye bitches.
• “I am looking for a unique opportunity in which I will be adequately challenged and compensated.” Please see bullet 3 in the previous section. It’s about what you can do for them, not what they can do for you.

Side Note: Don’t list your personal interests/hobbies on your resume or cover letter. You can break the ice with that at the interview if they ask you.

Resources

LinkedIn Groups including, Impact Hiring Solutions Job Search Network

Impact Hiring Solutions FREE job search resources including:

• Audio Library-webinars and radio shows
• Bi-weekly conference calls with recruiters who will answer your job search questions
• Blog, E-book and free chapter on “how to land the phone interview”

Heather Human’s Come Recommended and Entry-Level Careers Examiner.

Yesterday I did 3 out of 5 resume reviews for the “Fab Five” who are part of The Senior Series. The resumes were great!  The students’ energy energizes me!

One of the girls, Carey, had an excellent resume.  She goes to Georgetown, she has tons of awesome internship experience and her resume is well put together.  The only thing it lacked was focus.  She reminded me of myself.

Many Young Professionals Don’t Know what they want to do

Whether in terms of a full time job or an entrepreneurial venture, a majority of us are stuck.  There are SO many options out there, especially now that the Internet is added into the mix.  Is there a point when there are TOO many options?

I don’t think any young professional should limit themselves to a narrow career-niche so early on, especially in a tight economy (unless they know exactly what they want).  At the same time, hiring managers and HR people like focus.  They want to see that you are a slam dunk fit for the position they are looking to fill.  If you meet the experience they are looking for and they like your personality, you are WAY more likely to get a job.

So what is an open-minded young professional to do? Pursue being what hiring managers are looking for to get a job?  Keep a generalist approach in hopes that something sticks?

Some of you may have read the article I put up on Monday about how recruiters spend only a few seconds on each resume.  It also shows the process they use to eliminate candidates.  If you are a job seeker and haven’t read this, READ IT.  The moral of that story is: no focus, no interview.

Carey is one of those Rock Star types who could probably handle a career in just about anything and make the best of it.  But hiring managers don’t know that.

How to cure the generalist bug

I asked Carey to go online and look for several job postings that appeal to her.  The jobs didn’t have to be jobs she would actually apply for (perhaps they were not in her desired city) but more of ideal jobs.  I then asked her to forward me each posting with an explanation of what she liked about it.  Maybe she liked the size of the company, the job description, the team atmosphere, perhaps benefits, opportunities for growth or travel, location, etc.  I wanted her to dig deep into what she liked and didn’t like, to then rank her values and then see if there are any patterns.

Recap

1. Go online and pick out several job postings you feel are ideal. Don’t worry about the city of the posting, you don’t have to apply to these jobs,
2. Write down an explanation of why you like that job.  Be very specific.
3. Look at your answers and tally up the most popular reasons you liked the jobs.  See if there are any other patterns.

I think this is also a great exercise to do if you are considering freelancing.  Check out job postings that you like and see why you like them.  Absorb the fact that companies are hiring full time people to do this while you could be outsourcing the job to them for less!

Carey may end up with a few different career paths she is interested in.  If that is the case, she will have to tailor each resume to fit that description, and highlight that she has the experience, skills and passion for that job.

Being flexible is very important during a recession.  Being too flexible could shoot you in the foot.

This is a big topic for young professionals and recent graduates. What do you think?

• Is being too specific a good or a bad thing when doing a job search?
• How can you be open minded without looking lost or unfocused to hiring managers?
• If you know exactly what you want to do, should you only take that?

Happy Book Review Tuesday! Today is week 2 of talking about Alexandra Levit’s new book, “New Job, New You.“

What do you think is the biggest reason people want to change careers? Alexandra Levit found that it was independence.

But this path isn’t as easy as it sounds. The SBA says that two-thirds of new businesses survive at least two years, but only 33% survive four years. Being an independent business owner is, in my opinion, in your DNA.

Is Independence your Motivation for Change?

• Are you constantly thinking up ideas for new businesses, services, or products?
• Does having total control of your income appeal to you?
• Do you tell your friends who complain about their lives that “people have to make their own luck”?
• Do you find that you’re more productive when you don’t have to stay within the confines of a set schedule?
• Would your colleagues describe you as a “jack-of-all-trades”?

If you answered yes to most of these questions, you may be wired to work for yourself. Next steps?

Brainstorm

From what I can tell, this is where many of my peers get stuck. They know they want to work for themselves but they have no idea what business to go into. Then they get frustrated and start to think they will be stuck at a job they don’t like for the rest of their lives.

Before you do that…

• Go out and get a notebook that you can throw in your work bag. Bring it with you every day. Read this short post (one of my first blog posts!) to find out why. This notebook will help you constantly brainstorm, write down problems you’d like to solve through a product/service, and also serve as a way for you to monitor yourself.
• Once you gather some of these thoughts together (it could take a while), pick an industry, passion or issue then web out from there.
• Write down as many problems with each item as you can think of and create a new, prioritized list.
• Generate a list of solutions.
• Based on these solutions, come up with a list of potential business opportunities. Remember that they don’t have to be 100% original! No need to re-invent the wheel. You can make a successful business by taking an existing product or service and making it better, or presenting it in a new way.

Test your Concept

This part is SO important! I learned a lot about this from Ramit Sethi’s pre-earn1k course. If you don’t test your concept before you go live, you are wasting your time and resources. Here are some ideas on how to test your concept:

• Talk to prospects without selling them anything. Just get feedback.
• Consider freelancing for your potential customers for free/deeply discounted rates. Not only will you learn if you like doing that type of work, you will learn about issues that will come up and how to deal with them before you start charging the big bucks. You will also ultimately learn if people are willing to pay you for this type of work.
• Read a shit ton about the industry.
• Consider your competitors your equals. Go to lunch with them, chat with them about the industry (not about strategy or tactics) and see what problems they are facing. You never know what you can learn.*
• Trust instincts, but drop bad ideas fast.*
• Set up Google alerts to monitor what’s going on in the industry, who is saying what, and what companies are doing to serve the customers.
• Know what you’re good at.*

Share it

Have you thought about starting your own business? Want to get some feedback on your concept? Leave a comment and we’ll leave you feedback. Let us know: your business concept in 2 sentences, who your typical customer is and how you will get your first customer. We’ll give you some feedback.

Resources

The *’s under the Test Your Concept section of this post came from a little book written by “Serial Entrepreneur” G.L. Hoffman. Although he’s not publicizing it, he’s selling this little book of wisdom called “Start Up: Tips to Get Your Business Going” for $9.99. This book was worth every penny and I have no doubt that I will get thousands of dollars out of the advice I’m reading in here. The format is a list of 100 short blurbs + 10 things you can do now. I would get this book. Email G.L at glhoffman@mm.com or hit him up on Twitter for a copy.

Websites

• Entrepreneur.com
• Freelancers Union
• Ladies Who Launch (they have amazing incubator programs which take you from idea to implementation in 4 weeks- I did it and loved it.)
• NOLO (small business legal companion)
• Wall Street Journal Startup Journal

Books

• The One Minute Entrepreneur
• My So-Called Freelance Life
• Entrepreneur’s Notebook
• The Art of the Start
• Escape from Corporate America
• Escape from Cubicle Nation

Possibly THE best blog post I’ve ever read.

How Recruiters Read Resumes in 10 Seconds or Less

What would you find out if you were eavesdropping on corporate recruiters?

On Company Loyalty… considering leaving your company? Do a Sunday Night Gut Check.

Simplifying Simplicity with Five Simple Questions.