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How To Headhunt The Headhunters courtesy of Forbes

“Dear Mr. Recruiter, Hi. Until Monday, I was an investment banking executive at Lehman, and I’m wondering if your search firm has any appropriate openings.”

Sending a blind letter like this to a recruiter you don’t know is a total waste of time, particularly when there are thousands of former Wall Street employees lined up in front of the copy machines. Even more clueless: Sending a resume to someone who doesn’t even conduct searches in your field. In Pictures: How To Headhunt The Headhunters

“A resume gets you in front of us, in theory, but there are so many of them it doesn’t usually produce a conversation,” says Ralph S. Protsik, co-founder and managing director of Boston Search Group, an executive search firm that specializes in emerging businesses in the U.S. and Western Europe. Protsik says he gets about 100 resumes a week, but rarely looks at any of them.

So how do you get a headhunter’s attention?

First, find the recruiters who specialize in your industry. Many search firms post on their Web sites specific jobs they’re conducting searches for. Find one that matches your background, and tailor a cover letter explaining specifically how your work experience qualifies you for the job. Make it difficult for them to ignore you.
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When you are starting to write a resume you might find yourself staring at a blank white piece of paper or screen and wondering what to put. You might spend a few minutes and then start writing what you think should be included. This is a situation that is common among many people who are writing a resume for the first time. But don’t worry; this problem can be solved in seconds if not minutes. Get a Free resume format from the net and your problem is solved.

Now comes another dilemma. There are so many different resume formats available that you will be baffled when it comes to deciding on one particular format. This is where this article will come to your rescue.

The first thing that you have to do is download several good looking resume formats. Then go through all of them. Make sure it contains some basic requirements like having a white margin all around the page and divided into sections. It is important to have sectioned resume as this makes the resume very easy to go through and search for required information and the person who is doing the hiring will definitely prefer to have it that way. With these criteria, make a shortlist of three or four resumes.
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Social networking is the buzzword of the moment…Facebook, MySpace, Plaxo, LinkedIn and many more. People are asking, “is it relevant to my career or professional life?” With so many options, it’s easy to become overwhelmed if you’re trying to figure it all out, and you may even question whether it’s worth the time to invest in setting up an online profile.

If you’re searching for a new job, wanting to change careers, trying to advance in your current field, developing your credibility as subject matter expert in your field, or building your own entrepreneurial venture, LinkedIn is an invaluable resource.

How does LinkedIn work?

By creating a profile on LinkedIn (www.LinkedIn.com), you are preparing yourself to network with a vast community of over 25 million professionals. Your profile is similar to an online resume, as it highlights your professional experience, education and areas of expertise and interest.

Once you have your profile set up, you then upload your email contacts into your profile, and LinkedIn allows you to see who else you know that is already on the site. You can then simply connect with them, which also gives you access to their connections and their connections’ connections. Basically, you’re developing a network three tiers deep that is easy to access through online requests through a chain of connections.

How can it help me?

Depending on your situation, you can use LinkedIn in a variety of ways:

New Job
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There are so many different ways one can put together a resume that if you were to try to choose one you would be utterly confused. The net is full of places offering free sample resumes or resume templates and if you search for these it won’t be long before you download hundreds of different resume samples and templates.

The first step to writing your resume is research. Research using the net or in your nearest library and find out the different ways a resume can be put together. You will be able to find several downloadable sample resumes. Download some of them and use them. Make sure the resume samples follow certain basic requirements. The resumes must have a white margin all around the page and it must be divided into sections like personal information, education, job experience etc. This makes the resume scan able. This is important because the person who is doing the hiring is a very busy person and he can just spent only around 40 to 50 seconds on your resume. If it is scan able, he can get the required information easily and he will like you for that and possibly reward you with the job.

Remember, there are thousands of other people following the same sample resumes to create their own. So, it is advisable to use several sample resumes. Go through them. Compare among the best ones. Then use the best three or four sample resumes and create one that appears unique.

Since you will be applying for a professional job, your resume must also look professional. This does not mean you cannot go out of the way to create something more unique than the ones available in the net. Your resume is your first impression to your potential employer and don’t forget first impression counts. So, you better make it as impressive and attractive as possible.

Grab your e-book “resume writing secrets” packed with Sample resumes and resume templates by visiting http://jobresume.co.cc/resume-templates-for-free/ a very popular website where you will find various tips and tricks that can be immediately implemented in resumes and cover letters and used to get your dream job. You can also download some free Sample resumes

So you feel the time has come to ask your boss for a pay rise. You’ve worked hard all year and really put in the hours where it was needed. Now you want the reward of a pay rise. All you need to do now is Ask For A Pay Rise.

Going in for a pay rise review requires a strategy. Not planning ahead can cost you money and ultimately your job if you didn’t get what you asked for.

When it comes to asking or a pay rise too many people accept the first offer that is made to them, if they get one at all.

Just like negotiating salary [out], when it comes to asking for a pay rise, you should have a clear idea what your value to the company is, what you can bring to the company and how you see yourself progressing there in the future. By now you’ve probably spent some time in the company and know what your role is, how you’ve been performing and probably know how your peers have been performing too.

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Tarzan hardly looked like the King of the Apes when he arrived at his treetop home late one evening.

His mate, Jane, was dismayed to see him limp through the front door, a look of exhaustion clouding his handsome face, his loincloth in tatters.

“Tarzan, you look bushed,” she said. “Did you have a bad day at work, dear?”

Wearily shaking his head as he accepted the cup of fermented coconut juice she offered, he murmured, “I tell you, dear, it is a jungle out there. There’re wild beasts behind every bush.”

We can sympathize with Tarzan because there are “animals” that bear careful watching in the veritable jungles where work to earn career success

Career Counseling: Beasts Lurk On The Career Path

Let’s consider some of the beasts that ready to pounce on the career path.

Beware of monkeys, men or women who are always smiling; those who have a joke or wisecrack to make in every situation; court jesters who cavort about to attractive attention.
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Your life will be more effective and happier when you come to realize that it’s perfectly okay to choose the option–lead, follower, or get out of the way–that best suits your needs and desires. Your career success is not defined by what someone else expects of you. Genuine career success is what you define it to be.

If you are not performing at your best in the role that suits you, you are in fact a liability to yourself and the organization that employs you.

Get right with your world: make a decision and act on it today and everyday to reach the career goals you set for yourself.

If you opt to be a leader, be prepared to pay the price of commitment and effort the role demands: courage and self confidence; the ability to assemble and utilize resources; discipline to stay focused on objectives; the ability to teach and motivate people; and willingness to constantly learn.

If you are not ready to step up to meet the requirements of leadership, you are programming yourself for limited achievements and disappointments.

At the same time, if you elect to be a follower, embrace that role with all that it entails and be a good follower: carry out assignments to the very best of your abilities; support your leader by executing his directions; and suggest ways to improve the performances of your leader and the team.

To do otherwise is to muddy the waters for everybody.

Leaders can’t lead without good followers.

Whatever you do, for gosh sake, make a choice, set career goals and get going on your career path. So long as you are vacillating between leading and following, you are fouling the nest for the entire flock.

Do everybody–yourself included–a favor: lead, follow, or get out of the way. Your career success depends on it.

For free career coaching click here: http://www.commonsenseatwork.com You’ll receive The Career Accelerator, Ramon Greenwood’s semi-monthly newsletter. You can also visit his Your Blog For Career Advice via this route. Greenwood’s coaching comes from a world of experience, including serving as Senior Vice President of American Express, an entrepreneur, professional director, career coach and author.

As a restaurant management recruiter I am constantly bombarded with resumes all day, every day, on weekends and holidays. It is amazing how many great managers out there can run a profitable restaurant operation inside and out, but they have no idea what to write when it comes time to shop for their next opportunity.

In the restaurant industry it isn’t about where you went to school, what degree you have or what you like to do on your days off. Plain and simple is the best strategy for getting an interview in this field. You have to understand that the hiring managers who review your resume see more resumes than I do any given day. We are talking in the mid hundreds depending on how they have their needs and job hiring goals presented to the public. Many times a resume is passed over because it isn’t user friendly or it is out of order chronologically. The worst thing I ever saw was a resume that stopped over 2 years ago with no explanation. Go ahead and file that one in the round outbox on the floor.

Before we get started let me tell you if you are not using Microsoft Word you will probably never get another job. Compatibility is the key here and whether you like it or not Word is the king of word processing software. Please don’t try to reinvent the wheel using Word Perfect or something else obscure in the marketplace. When someone gets a file that can’t be opened with their existing software they take the path of least resistance and delete it. They don’t try and contact you via email and you just lost a potential career opportunity. So step one is always use Word or you will regret it later.
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Social Networking Sites Become Vital Tools in Job Searches

When Jen Vargas suddenly was laid off from her job as a senior administrative assistant at Universal Orlando in June, the 30-year-old’s resume was out-of-date and she had no active job prospects. John Alvin McClatchy-Tribune

But she did have one advantage: She’s a member of the networking sites LinkedIn and Facebook.

“People who I wasn’t directly associated with at work, or who worked in neighboring departments, are the ones who sent me job leads,” said Vargas of Orlando, who is still looking for work. “And co-workers who I would have expected to keep me in mind, I haven’t heard from them. It was very surprising.”

As more people get fired, switch careers or worry about losing their jobs in today’s struggling economy, networking sites are becoming more than places to post photos and connect with old college buddies. They have become vital tools in a job search.

Like Vargas, Carla Parks joined Facebook and LinkedIn because they were the Web sites du jour at one time or another, not because she thought it would help her career.

“It was nice to have, but it was kind of a second thought,” said Parks, 34, of Winter Park, referring to when she signed up for LinkedIn a few years ago.
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With the current problem of jobs lay-offs, and stiff job competition, you want to make sure that you keep your job . After all, you don’t want to relive the hardships of job hunting and application. Now that you have a job and have adjusted with your colleagues and the nature of your work, it’s probably the perfect time for you to make the most of your position and create a lasting impression on your bosses.

To help you earn your boss’s favor and climb your way up, we’ve come up with a list of key characteristics that employers will usually look for in their employees. Check the list to see if you meet the benchmark, or if your performance and behavior might still need some improvement:

1. Communicate Effectively

Effective communication among employees and their bosses is necessary to keep the company running smoothly. When you’ve just landed the job, try to ask relevant questions to help you understand what the company expects of you, and what you can likewise expect from your employers. Asking questions and showing interest in your work will demonstrate that you’re proactive and willing to take initiative, traits that will definitely make your employer take notice of you. This is certainly a plus especially when you’re just new at the job.

2. Know your boss’ pet peeves

Try to find out from your coworkers exactly what annoys your boss the most, or what you should watch out for when dealing with him or her.. Some of these employees have worked with your boss for several years, and they can give you a lot of advice about your employer’s behavior or unusual quirks. For instance, if you’ve been toldthat your boss is usually grouchy in the morning, don’t come barging into his office when he’s just gotten there, even if you have great news or a brilliant idea to share with him! If you need to report something, try waiting for the right time or sending him/her an official memo just to be sure.

3. Love and embrace your work

Managers and bosses obviously want to see their employees accomplish their tasks with great enthusiasm and energy, a telltale sign that you care about what you can contribute to the well-being of the company. Learn to love your job! Once you do this, your boss will immediately see that you’re an indispensable and valuable part of the company, and will most probably eye you for bigger and better projects in the future.

“Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life.” - Confucius

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