MARTIN WEITZMAN, NCRW, RPBS, IJCTC
(800) 967-3846
resumepro
http://executiveresumewriter.com

A MONTHLY PUBLICATION OF GILBERT RESUMES, FEATURING TIMELY CAREER ARTICLES, CAREER WEBSITES, AND SUGGESTIONS FOR TODAY’S JOB SEEKERS.

Employers Want Problem Solvers

President Obama recently walked across the street from the White House to visit with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. It is hard to believe they are that close to each other physically but couldn’t be farther apart philosophically.

The President basically told business you need to let loose of the trillions of dollars you are sitting on to help create a “virtuous cycle” of more sales, higher demand and greater profits that will put people back to work. The President pledged to eliminate unneeded regulations and simplify the tax code, but said companies had responsibilities to help the economy recover. (Source: New York Times Online)

What exactly does that mean for a person seeking employment? Do you simply march into an employer and tell them you know they have money and they need to hire you? The answer is YES, but not because it is their American duty or they are sitting on piles of cash. That makes for a good speech, but there are plenty of businesses still suffering. The President’s comment is the chicken or the egg, which comes first, hiring people or customers. Employers hire when they have a need or a problem they can’t solve. That is where you come in. You are the problem solver they need.

The trouble many have with job search is they are looking for jobs. They read a job posting, check the qualifications, and then apply. What they should do is read between the lines of the job posting, determine the problem, and then tell people how you can solve it. Investigate why the job is open. Oh, so and so left and we are filling the job. What did so and so do that was so important they needed to be replaced. That’s easy, they were a financial analyst, account representative, a nurse, a teacher, a plumber, a receptionist, etc. No, that was their title, what problem were they helping solve.

Google just announced they were going to hire 6,000 people in 2011. They received 75,000 applications in one week without the applicants knowing what jobs were available. How many of those applications were from people looking to solve a problem or simply I am smart hire me? I know Google recruits only smart people. Guess what, so does everyone else. Smart is not enough of a differentiator, it is what you do with your smarts.

—Guest Expert Thomas D. Cairns, Career Rocketeer

Should Your Resume Have a QR Code?

I posed this question on Twitter recently and received mixed responses from job seekers, recruiters and others. Some people said they’re already seeing QR codes on resumes (one person mentioned seeing them on professional conference badges as well), other people think the trend is too aggressive and won’t catch on and still other people replied, “Um, what’s a QR code?”

Before we go on, let’s answer that last question first. (And I fully admit I would have asked the same thing a month ago.) QR codes – QR stands for “quick response” – are those small, square barcodes that can be scanned by mobile phones and other devices.

As you’ve probably noticed in magazines, on billboards and elsewhere, QR codes are becoming more and more popular for marketing. When you see a QR code, you simply take a picture of it with your phone’s camera (assuming you have the right application installed) and you’ll be directed to the embedded information in that code, such as a website or text message.)

Why could this be relevant for job seekers and other professionals? Because of the crucial importance of standing out from the crowd. Adding a QR code to your resume, business card, portfolio or any other personal marketing tool could be the detail that helps you get noticed by an employer, particularly if you want to work in an industry such as marketing, real estate or technology in which QR code savvy is important.

How do I create a QR code?

You can use Google to create a QR code (see a simple step-by-step explanation from the Optimal Blog here). I created the above QR code on Google in under two minutes. As you’ll see, it directs you to the Manpower Professional Job Seekers Career Center, where you can find some of my past blog posts and other helpful career content.

Ryan Rancatore of Personal Branding 101 blog suggests that you monitor the results of your QR Code placements by using bit.ly to shorten your link before creating the code. Then, use bit.ly’s analytic tools to track visits to your link. This is a great way to see if your QR code is catching on and to know which employers are potentially interested in you.

Where should my QR code send people?

There are many options here. Depending on what you feel best represents you, your QR code might send people to your website (as long as it’s professional), your LinkedIn profile, a downloadable vCard with your contact information or an online portfolio of your work.

A company called Vizibility recently announced that personalized QR codes are now available for their Vizibility SearchMe links, which direct people to a user’s top five verified Google search results.? If you have particularly good Google-ability, this might be an option to pursue.

Will people get it?

Afraid that people won’t know what that little black and white box is? Not to worry, writes John Heaney on The Job Shopper blog: “Even if the individuals reading your resume don’t know how to act on the QR code, including it on your resume can still position you as someone who is technically proficient, stays up to date on business trends and technology and is an early adopter of powerful and creative ideas.”

Ryan Rancatore agrees, “Maybe [people] won’t scan your QR Code. But I guarantee they will take note of this unique aspect of your resume, which in itself is a major victory.” But, as a precaution, Rancatore recommends providing people with the URL that the QR links to in addition to the QR graphic itself, just in case. “Be sure to include both your URL and the QR Code,” he writes, “so those without smartphones can still reach your web destination.” I definitely agree.

So what do you think? Will you add a QR code to your job seeking efforts? Please share your thoughts!

—Manpower Career Center

Clean it Up: How to Fix Your Online Image

Sometimes life is so hectic that we don’t think before we make our next move, especially when it comes to the Internet. However, in one swift movement, our online image can be tarnished just by a few posts. What’s worse, it takes longer to win back the trust of your followers or even gain the confidence of a recruiter or hiring manger than it does to tear it down.

So, take some time to clean up your online image, even if you believe it’s spotless. Here’s how to get started:

Revamp every profile. Over the years, we tend to disregard certain profiles and give more attention to others. However, it’s important to keep a clean track record with all platforms, not just your favorites. Update your LinkedIn profile with your current work status, make your Twitter bio reflect your interests and industry, and list your experiences on Facebook.

Moreover, it’s important to get rid of the junk that has accumulated on your profiles. For example, if there are some questionable photos from your college days, get rid of them. Even though they may not be permanently deleted from the Web, at least they will be out of plain view.

Lastly, if you don’t use a particular profile anymore or you have a new blog, get rid of the old versions. It doesn’t exactly bode well for you if a hiring manager or recruiter finds dated material that’s not even updated. In this case, the “delete” button is your best friend.

Make some profiles private. Your privacy settings are important, especially when it comes to popular platforms like Facebook. Don’t be one of “those” people and leave it up to chance. Those who really want to find you will find a way, and they will judge you based on the content they see, even if it’s not by you or years old. However, if you don’t like the idea of ironclad privacy settings, at least hide things like your personal information, friends, images or videos. This will limit cases on mistaken identity and won’t put the spotlight on your private life.

Conversely, sites like Twitter and LinkedIn should remain open and updated often. Why? These types of social networking sites can bridge the gap between your personal and professional life if done correctly. They can be a huge asset to you, especially during the job hunt.

Stay away from bad influencers. It’s terrible to make assumptions about someone based on who they know. Unfortunately, that’s how it goes sometimes. However, knowing this information should help you make decisions, particularly regarding whom you follow and interact with. Just like good influencers can help you on your path to thought leadership and enhancing your personal brand, bad influencers can do just the opposite for your image. Be careful when networking with questionable characters, especially if your platforms are public. No matter how innocent you may seem, you can always be guilty by association.

How else can you clean up your image?

—James Alexander, Vizibility

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