Tips And Techniques For Conducting

Effective Job Searches Presented by TheLadders

5

Standing Out From the Competition

In a tough job market with more candidates than open positions, it's especially important that a job seeker stands out from the competition. Five key areas can help you stand out and maximize the efficiency of your job search.

Your resume must fit the requirements and qualifications of each unique position you are applying for.

One catch-all resume won't perfectly fit every job. Executive job resumes, for example, should meet every qualification bullet point with at least one example of prior experience, training or a completed task.

However, do not modify your resume so it reads like a copy of the job posting.

#1 Creating Resumes That Get Noticed

Effective executive resumes need to be updated periodically. As required skills change with the job market, so does a resume.

Current achievements and deliverables are generally more relevant than older accomplishments. To accentuate those skills, a "functional resume" categorizes job experience by achievement rather than by date, which can help bolster the resume of someone seeking to bring his skills to bear in a new industry.

#1 Creating Resumes That Get Noticed

As job seekers use the latest information technology to connect with more employers, human-resource representatives also are turning to the Internet to research candidates.

Anyone on a job hunt today should expect to be researched online by potential employers; use the opportunity to showcase your personal branding.

#2 Standing Out With Personal Branding

Google searches can offer beneficial information while distinguishing a candidate who has a strong Internet presence. Google Profile is a free service that offers a great way to convey a sense of character and soft skills that a resume cannot do.

Candidates may also purchase "yourname.com" for a very small annual fee in order to provide more information and really display professionalism and technological savvy.

#2 Standing Out With Personal Branding

Job searches typically entail two broad methods; targeted applications and market saturation.

Saturation refers to the idea that putting resumes and applications out to every possible employer will eventually result in good leads. Even a small chance to get a call back on a position is effective when done in great numbers. You never know when a long shot will pay off.

#3 The Job Search

The saturation method entails posting to every online job database you can find. Distribution services will do all of the legwork for a nominal fee.

Every resume that hits an inbox or comes across an executive job recruiter's desk is a potential employment opportunity. Best of all, once a resume is out on the Internet, it will continue to act as a passive generator of leads and contacts.

#3 The Job Search

Networking and Targeted Applications are the best ways to hone in on a particular position.

Contacts can offer recommendations or hand-deliver resumes to recruiters, and they'll often have the inside line about job openings before they are posted publicly.

#4 Networking

Professional-networking Web sites expand networking abilities through the Internet. Web sites such as LinkedIn let a candidate establish connections and find executive job opportunities through mutual contacts.

Recruiters and candidates often have contacts in common, creating an avenue for exposure and a targeted application. These networking Web sites will also expand a person's brand as they can offer supplemental information and provide additional opportunities to sell oneself.

#4 Networking

Interviews allow candidates to display all the intangibles that cannot be conveyed on paper. They're the ultimate opportunity to secure employment.

Invariably, during every interview, you should expect to hear qualitative questions, such as "Tell me about yourself," or "Explain a time when..." These questions do not have a right or wrong answer, but are prompts for a candidate to display his personality, organization and soft skills.

#5 The Interview

When answering interview questions, be brief. A good answer will be short and to the point, like a commercial, and should last about a minute or two.

Offer two or three facts that will interest the interviewer about the ability to meet the job qualifications. Focus on the key points of an interview. Avoid unnecessary biographical information, and instead focus on the position.

Finally, highlight the most relevant executive job accomplishments relating to the job specifics. The ultimate goal is to stand out from other job candidates; leave a lasting impression with a memorable answer.

#5 The Interview

As the leading online search Web site for $100K jobs, TheLadders.com offers online search capabilities for many popular, top-earning positions throughout the world.

Every month, TheLadders.com lists more than 35,000 newly opened $100K+ jobs for companies of all sizes. If you're a job seeker searching for a $100K+ position, TheLadders.com delivers qualified $100K+ jobs across all industries and locations, focused primarily on C-level, vice president, director and manager positions.

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