by Angela Copeland | Jan 27, 2014 | Advice, Newsletter
I don’t want to sound like a broken record, but this is a point that I want to drive home. One of the very first things I recommend to the job seekers I meet with is to get business cards- and to take them everywhere. So often, job seekers say they are in one of a few predicaments:
- “I’m between jobs, so I don’t have business cards.”
- “I’m in college (or graduate school), so I don’t need business cards.”
- “I’m changing careers, so my current business card from work isn’t relevant.”
- “My company doesn’t have the money to print them, so I don’t have business cards.”
I have to tell you, none of these excuses are anything more than excuses. At the end of the day, when you’re looking for a job, potential employers need to know how to contact you. You never know when or where you might meet someone who may end up being your next boss, or your next great networking contact (who will introduce you to your next big job). If you don’t have business cards, it’s time to get them. And the good news is, it’s easy. It only takes a few minutes to order them online, and then they will arrive to your house a few days later. Before you start, you’ll want to think about what to include on your business card.
At a bare minimum, you need to include:
- Your name
- Your phone number – I recommend your cell phone, so that you can receive calls anytime
- Your e-mail address – Refer back to my previous newsletter about which e-mail address to use and which one not to use
Other optional elements you can also add are:
- Your personal website URL, if you have one
- Your personal logo, if you have one
- A title that describes your desired line of work – Think of something along the lines of “Project Manager” or “Technology Consultant”
- Your address
If you’re the kind of person that has multiple types of jobs, or qualifications in multiple areas, you may want to consider a card that does not have your title. This will allow you to give the same card to different people, in different industries, and for different types of roles.
If you’re not a graphic artist, or experienced with Photoshop, don’t try to design a logo on your own. If you have a friend who’s an artist, ask them for their help – or leave off the logo altogether. Whatever you do, don’t include a photo of any kind. This is rarely helpful. At the end of the day, a simple business card is always better than a messy one.
When you’re ready to buy your cards, look around. A few of the sites I recommend you check out are FedEx.com, GotPrint.com, VistaPrint.com, and Moo.com.
I hope these tips have helped you. Visit CopelandCoaching.com to find more tips to improve your job search.
Happy hunting!
Angela Copeland
@CopelandCoach
by Angela Copeland | Jan 13, 2014 | Advice, Newsletter, Resume Writing
Having a great resume won’t get you the job, but having a bad one will prevent you from getting an interview at all. The purpose of your resume is to quickly tell a story about your career, who you are, and what you’re looking for next. It helps potential employers determine if you’re a fit, and it helps your network to scope out new opportunities for you.
If you’re thinking of looking for a new job, updating your resume is the first place you should start. Ideally, keep your resume up to date even when you’re NOT looking, so that you’re prepared when something great comes along. It will also help to ensure that you don’t forget important accomplishments.
Many clients that I work with are unsure of where to begin. Compiling your life’s work on one or two pages is stressful and can cause many people to avoid creating a resume altogether. The good news is that once you have a solid resume, maintaining it is fairly simple. Think of the initial painful setup as an investment (in your future!).
Here are five tips to get you started:
- Look at other resumes for samples, and then create your own. Stuffing your career history into a ready made template can often look awkward, and can be hard to update with your details.
- Include your objective or profile statement. Many candidates forget this section (or avoid it). The objective communicates what kind of job you’re looking for to potential employers and your network. It’s essential.
- Keep your resume to one or two pages max. Beyond two pages, nobody will read it and you will look unfocused. If you’ve been working less than three years, keep it to one page. Beyond that, you can go with one or two pages. If you have two pages, be sure to include pages numbers.
- Don’t use fonts smaller than 9 point. Employers don’t want to strain to read your resume. Cut the details down to what’s really important and you won’t need to squeeze so much onto the page.
- Include measurable results. Explain your impact in terms of quantifiable numbers. How many people did you manage? How much money did you save? How many campaigns did you work on? How much did you exceed your goals? Putting numbers alongside your experience magnifies your impact.
I hope these tips have helped you. Visit CopelandCoaching.com to find more tips to make your resume the best ever.
Happy hunting!
Angela Copeland
@CopelandCoach
by Angela Copeland | Jan 6, 2014 | Advice, Newsletter
As you’re starting on your New Year’s resolution to find a new job, it’s time to remember a few things NOT to do during your 2014 job search:
- Sell yourself short: Just because you don’t meet every detail of a job description’s requirements doesn’t mean you shouldn’t apply. Who knows, you may even get the job!
- Wear jeans to a job interview: Unless you are 100% certain that jeans are the preferred attire for an interview at the company, wear slacks or a suit. Just because the company employees are wearing jeans (like on Fridays), it doesn’t mean you should. You’re interviewing.
- Use an old e-mail address: E-mail addresses like AOL and Hotmail make you look out of date and out of touch. It’s time to sign up for Gmail.
- Don’t take advantage of LinkedIn: LinkedIn can be a wonderful resource for your job search. If you disagree, it’s time to try again. You can find jobs, stay in touch with your networking connections, and solicit endorsements of your work.
- Post drunk photos of yourself on Facebook: Employers check your social media to find out about you. Don’t post things that you wouldn’t want them to see.
- Lie on your resume: Honesty is the best (and only) policy. And remember, if you lie now, it can be grounds for firing later.
- Forget about networking: Networking is your number one tool for finding a new job. Don’t underestimate its importance.
- Be open to your current employer about your search: Do not tell your boss or coworkers that you’re looking for a new job. You will need to keep that job until you’ve secured your new one. Sharing too soon can leave you without a job before you’re ready.
- Leave home without your business cards: You never know when you’ll meet your next boss. Even if you’re unemployed, get business cards. Carry them everywhere.
- Say negative things about your current employer: Job interviews are not the time to talk about your negative views on your previous employer. Keep the conversation light, and remain as neutral as you can.
- Forget to update your resume: You may be asked to provide a resume sometime when you’re not expecting. Do you really want to create a delay by going home to update it? Keeping it current allows you to send it to anyone anytime.
- Share too many of your personal views: The same way you don’t discuss your political and religious views at a dinner party, you want to keep them to yourself during your job search. Leave them off of your resume and out of social media. You never know who may be reading them. Alternatively, lock down the privacy settings on your social media to keep potential employers eyes away.
- Don’t send thank you notes: Sending a handwritten thank you note after an interview is an easy thing to do that will have a big impact. Few candidates do it, and all employers remember it. It’s in expensive an easy. Give it a try after your next interview.
- Forget about negotiating: Many (if not most) job seekers don’t negotiate when they receive a job offer. Don’t give up thousands of dollars that you could make with a quick conversation. It’s uncomfortable, but it only takes 5 minutes. Give it a try.
Happy hunting!
Angela Copeland
@CopelandCoach
by Angela Copeland | Jan 4, 2014 | Newsletter
If you haven’t had a chance, sign up for my Copeland Coaching newsletter here: http://copelandcoaching.us7.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=a21ef14e32d196644d7880ed9&id=234c69176c.
The next issue on Monday outlines 14 mistakes to STOP making in your job search this New Year.
by Angela Copeland | Dec 30, 2013 | Advice, Business Cards, Newsletter
The importance of business cards can’t be overstated. They are an essential part of your job search process. Not having a job is no excuse for not having a business card.
One of the most important steps to finding a new job is networking. Successful networking involves meeting new people, and meeting new people involves exchanging contact information. It is far more embarrassing to write your name and phone number on a napkin at a bar (for a potential employer) than to hand them a crisp, new, custom business card.
The card can be simple. If you’re out of work, a student, or thinking of switching careers, start with the following:
- Your name
- Your phone number
- Your e-mail address
You can also add your address, your website’s URL, or your job title (“marketing consultant” for example). Some people even create a personal logo, although I would caution you to not use too many graphics or too much color unless you have a design background. The last thing that you want is a completely homemade looking card.
Once you have an idea of what you want your card to look like, log onto one of the many sites where you can order business cards. A few that I have tried in the past are GotPrint.com, VistaPrint.com, and FedEx.com.
Even nice cards should cost you less than $50. This is more than worth the investment when it comes to finding your next job. Some sites (Vista Print in particular) offer an option to print your cards for free. If you print free cards, Vista Print will put their website on the back or bottom of your card. I would encourage you to try to pull together the $50 to pay for premium cards at Vista Print or one of the other sites. They look more professional and minimize the chances that you’re going to look either inexperienced or desperate for a new job.
Once you have your business cards, TAKE THEM WITH YOU. Everywhere. Do not leave home without them. Ever. I keep business cards in my purse, my car, my wallet, my jacket, and any other place with a pocket. I don’t ever want to miss a networking opportunity, and if you are looking for a job, neither should you.
Last but not least, don’t forget to give your business cards away. Don’t be shy. That’s what they’re for. Most people will give you theirs in return. And if they don’t, it’s probably because they don’t have one and are too embarrassed to write their phone number on a napkin.
Happy hunting!
Angela Copeland
@CopelandCoach
by Angela Copeland | Dec 23, 2013 | Advice, Newsletter, Personal Brand
The New Year is just a little over a week away. You’ve just started to think about looking for a new job or internship, and you’re wondering where to begin. The entire process can be quite overwhelming for many, especially if you don’t have family members you can lean on for help. You may be graduating from college, finishing up graduate school, just looking for something new, or switching careers altogether….
No matter what your situation, the first thing to consider is your own personal brand. Yes, YOU. Your personal brand is a lot like the big brands that you think of such as Target, Apple, McDonald’s, and Facebook. What do you think of when you think of these brands? Do you love them? Do you hate them? Where did you come up with these impressions? I will be that there are brands that you’ve never used before, but you already have an impression of.
When you’re looking for jobs, the first thing you need to consider is your personal brand. You may wonder how to begin to evaluate your personal brand. Here are the steps you should follow to start with:
- Get your resume in order. Draft a new resume or update your existing resume. Then, work with a professional career coach to ensure that your resume really makes the cut. The worst thing I’ve seen is candidates with a great education and great background who are overlooked because of a sloppy resume that doesn’t succinctly highlight their skills.
- Do a Google search of your name in quotes. The first place an employer will look other than your resume is in the search engines. For example, I would check out “Angela Copeland.” What pops up? Are there positive or negative results? Do you have the ability to remove or change the negative posts? Can you add more positive posts?
- Do a Google search again, but within Google Images (Google.com/images). You may never have noticed, but Google also allows you to search through their images using your name. Are there beautiful photos of you and your parents from your graduation? Or, do photos also show up that your friends posted on Facebook after a drunken party?
- Ensure that your e-mail address is clear and concise. Take a second look at your resume, and the e-mails you’re sending. It should not make a statement about your hobbies or your age (such as green_girl_1992@gmail.com). It should be plain and easy to understand. Try something like firstname.lastname@gmail.com. If you’re an older job seeker, stay away from e-mail addresses that date you, such as anything@AOL.com, or anything@HOTMAIL.com. I don’t know how many times I’ve heard someone gossip, “Did you see his e-mail address? Oh my gosh! He is either extremely old, or he knows nothing about technology!” Neither of these is something you want an employer to think (even if they are kind enough not to say it).
- Take inventory of your social media. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest, Flickr, your blog. Whatever you’re using, it’s time to go through it. Look at your privacy settings. Ensure that they’re set so that random internet stalkers (a.k.a. “future employers”) can only see what you want them to. Check that your visible profile picture is also in line with the professional brand that you want to display. Consider hiding or removing old photos that don’t represent who you are today. Drunken party photos or scantily clad beach pics are not what you want to be part of your personal brand.
Following the steps above will help to ensure that you’re driving your own personal brand, and avoiding a social media nightmare. Stay tuned to CopelandCoaching.com for more tips for building your brand and finding the job for you in the New Year.
Happy hunting!
Angela Copeland
@CopelandCoach
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