Posted on February 25, 2010 |
With the job market being as competitive as it is these days, you really need to step up your game if you want to find the right position and not just another job. Below are four methods you can use to stand out from the competition and land the perfect job, the one that you have always dreamed of having:
1. Get your resume in check. When is the last time you updated your resume? Realistically, you should be updating your resume each time that you apply for a new position. Tweak your former job descriptions to fit the position for which you are applying. And make sure that your resume has RESULTS that you produced, and is not just a rehash of your duties and responsibilities. Your duties and responsibilities barely matter … what matters is how well you exercised them!
2. Create a “wow” cover letter. As with your resume, you should update your cover letter for each job for which you are applying. Take the time to do some research on the company, and list several reasons why your skills and background would be valuable to them. Remember, in job search, it is not what they can do for you, it is what you can do for them.
3. Cast a wide net as you apply for jobs. Even if you are not sure if you are qualified for a position that you are interested in, apply anyway! You have nothing to lose and you might end up stumbling into your perfect career. Job specs listed in a posting are a wish list; oftentimes companies end up hiring candidates whose backgrounds are completely different from the original spec. Give it a try!
4. Apply, apply, apply. Don’t just cast a wide net, cast a deep one, too. Post your resume on every job-hunting website you can think of. Set up a job agent to scan the web for suitable positions. Do cold mailings and emailings to companies, even when they are not advertising. Read industry trade magazines to find out what is happening in your targeted field. Set up an auto reply program so you can apply for jobs without having to actually do any work! To get a sense of the types of things you can do, check out the Contacts and Connections page on our website. Happy hunting!
Posted on February 21, 2010 |
CSI’s switchboard is jammed!
Hundreds of attorneys attended the New York State Bar Association’s annual career conference held in New York City on January 25, 2010. Many hundreds more participated in the event, which was simulcast on the web.
Career Strategies founder Bruce Blackwell was one of several panelists. His presentation contained solid information about job search methods and issues in this shaky economy. As a result, the switchboard at Career
Strategies has been overloaded with calls.
“The response has been much more than gratifying,” said Mr. Blackwell, who added that because of the volume of calls and emails that have been flooding in, “it has been hard for us to get back to everyone as quickly as we would like.” He asks callers and emailers to please be patient, and assures them that their inquiries will be followed up as quickly as possible.
Other panelists included Dr. Leslie Seppinni, Author of Excuse Free Living; Kelly Hoey, White and Case, Manager of Alumni Relations; and Elena F. Kaspi, President and Founder of LawScope Coaching. NYSBA Webmaster Barbara Beauchamp also made a highly informative presentation about how to use NYSBAs social networking tools.
This is the fourth time the New York State Bar has held a career conference, and the second to which Mr. Blackwell was invited to speak. The event was chaired by Lauren Wachtler, Chairperson of the Lawyers in Transition Committee.
The day consisted of three hours of formal presentations by the speakers, and then two more hours of Q&A from the audience.
“I was honored to be asked again to speak before the New York State Bar Association’s members,” said Blackwell. “The panelists presented truly outstanding information about how to navigate through these difficult times, and the audience asked some excellent questions covering the whole range of job search and career development issues.”
For those who could not attend, or who would like to see the presentations again, the full program is available on the internet through the NYSBA website.
In a recent survey conducted by Monster.com, 90 percent of job seekers said that they would consider a career change – and 49 percent said that they were actively seeking to change industries. Looking to make a move of your own, but aren’t sure if a career change is right for you? Below is a list of the top four reasons most people consider a career change::
1. To secure employment and a source of income. With the job market being so competitive these days, more and more people change industries just to keep some sort of income flowing in. If given the choice between waiting for a job in your own industry for an indefinite period of time or taking a lower level position like a contract legal temp job just to pay the bills, many people choose the latter.
2. To move up the ladder. Because so many companies and law firms are cutting jobs, fewer positions are available to enable employees to move people up the ladder. As a result, some are opting to make a career change instead of wallowing forever in stagnant law firm and corporate waters.
3. There’s too much competition. Sure, you might have spent the last 15 years doing real estate law, but if there aren’t any real estate law jobs in your area, what are you going to do? Some choose to go back to get an LL.M or MBA to enhance their competitive edge, while others opt to move into different practice areas; taking the proper CLE courses can provide the basic knowledge, which can be supplemented by independent reading and study.
4. To become happier. This is the big one. Sometimes, a career choice turns out to be a nightmare. When you are just not happy with your current position at all, it’s not likely that a change in employer will make you happier. We have seen people move to “lifestyle” law firms only to find out that they still need to put in 2000 hours or more. If you are a litigator but hate the constantly adversarial nature of your work, a change in law firms won’t make a fundamental difference in your happiness. Oftentimes, the best thing to do is make a bold career change move. It might be challenging at first, but if it makes you happier for the rest of your working days, it will be worth it. You can enjoy your job and be well compensated all at the same time!
In a recent survey conducted by Monster.com, 90 percent of job seekers said that they would consider a career change – and 49 percent said that they were actively seeking to change industries. Looking to make a move of your own, but aren’t sure if a career change is right for you? Below is a list of the top four reasons most people consider a career change:
Posted on February 8, 2010 |
If you’re looking to make a big change in your career – changing industries, applying for different types of positions than you’ve previously held, etc., you need to adjust more than your resume. An impressive career change cover letter can make the difference between getting called in for an interview or getting lumped in with the “do not call” list. To help you along your way, here are four tips for writing a career change cover letter that will wow your future employers:
- Make sure it’s formatted correctly. The way you format your career change resume is as important as the content itself. Not sure how to arrange what it is that you want to say? Do a little research, there are tons of samples online that you can use as a starting point.
- Cover your bases. Have employment gaps in your resume? Did you hold a former job for a short period of time? Your career change cover letter is the perfect place to address these kinds of issues. Explain anything that might raise red flags, don’t just hope the person in charge of hiring won’t notice (the job market is so crowded right now, everything gets noticed).
- Write a fresh cover letter for each job you apply for. Don’t just send out the same career change cover letter for every job you apply for – make it unique to the position. Include a bit about how much you’d love the opportunity to work for the company. Sure, it’ll take a little more time and effort, but it will most likely pay off in the end.
- Edit, edit, edit! Before sending out your career change resume, give it another once over and make sure there aren’t any errors in your spelling or grammar. Not sure? Hire a professional cover letter writer to edit it for you!
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With the job market being as competitive as it is these days, you really need to step up your game if you want to find the right position and not just another job. Below are four methods you can use to stand out from the competition and land the perfect job, the one that you have always dreamed of having:
