I am actively expanding my resume and career services practice to clients in Europe and the Far East. Currently working with two senior executives in Eastern Europe.

GILBERT GAZETTE
800.967.3846
resumepro
www.executiveresumewriter.com

A publication of Gilbert Resumes, featuring timely career articles, career websites, and suggestions for today’s job seekers.

How Working for
No Pay Can Actually
Pay Off

Interviewing the Interviewer!

Execunet Report:
The Top 10 High Growth Functions
for Job Seeking Executives in 2010

How Working for No Pay Can Actually Pay Off

Volunteering during periods of unemployment provides many benefits including networking, enhancing skills, and the prevention job loss-induced insanity.

I am never going to find a job. My resume is posted on every job board including Hiremeprettyplease.com and Willtradekidneyforjob.com. I watch job boards with tenacity that celebrity stalkers would be impressed by; in fact, my average time to apply (ATTA) for newly posted jobs that may or may not match my background is 9 minutes 23 seconds from time of posting. I am linked in, fully branded, actively networking, and still jobless. I have cleaned, organized, and rearranged my house, twice. I can also, despite no legal background, predict the ruling with 99% accuracy on landlord disputes thanks to Judge Judy, Judge Maria Lopez and Judge Joe Brown. It is becoming increasingly clear, if I am unemployed much longer I will be able to donate my closet full of smartly tailored business suits to charity and invest in one really fashionable straight jacket.

Does this sound like you?

Nearly 3.2 million have been jobless for at least 27 weeks, which is a very long time to be absent from the working world if you are accustomed to only having a week or 2 off a year as a vacation. (During which you were hopefully enjoying your time away not fretting about it.) Furthermore, finding a job is the hardest job you can ever have…the pay is horrible, you want to quit every day, and it is very easy to become frustrated and disillusioned. If you find yourself in the unfortunate situation of a long period of unemployment, don’t spend your days self-loathing, stalking the job boards, and getting sucked into hours of horrible daytime television; instead use this time to volunteer your way into a new position.

Volunteering is an ideal way to network and keep your skills sharp. If you are hoping to transition your current skills to a different position, or are a new entrant into the job market, a volunteer position can be the ideal solution to bridging the gap by gaining experience. However, it is way more than just being about you; it is also a way to give back to a cause you care about.

Volunteering can also create an opportunity to hear about new positions from other professionals like clients of organization, partners, or from fellow volunteers. That’s right; I am suggesting your serve your way to the top, or at least the top of the applicant pool. Scandalous yet socially responsible.

Plus, being able to tell an interviewer you have been spending time volunteering is much better than saying that you color coded the food items in your pantry, sub grouped by the contents of the ingredients, because, well, that is just insane.

Read the full article here: http://www.careerrocketeer.com/search?q=How+Working+for+No+Pay+Can+Actually+Pay+Off+

—Career Rocketeer

Interviewing the Interviewer!
Most people, when interviewing for a new job, forget the process is supposed to be a 2-way street.

It’s as important for you, as a candidate, to determine if the job, the company, the culture, and the work environment is right for you as it is for the company to determine if you’re right for them. You do yourself no favors by accepting an offer for a job that is not a good fit. It will make you miserable, your employer dissatisfied, and likely not end well.

In order to make a rational judgment as to the fit, you must have your criteria figured out in advance. Very often, when you’re in the middle of an evaluation process, it’s easy to rationalize all the things that don’t feel right to you because you want a job, any job, so much. Having a list of criteria that you created before you’re in the heat of the process helps you tremendously in determining if this role is a match, or not.

Then, it’s up to you to ask the questions, and do the digging necessary to see how well the position and the organization matches your list. No one, no company, and no position will ever be perfect. However, you will be much more aware of what fits and what doesn’t, and make wiser choices.

Possibly, due to your financial situation, you may need to take an offer you know is not a great match for you in order to pay the bills. However, in that situation, at least you are going in with your eyes wide open instead of deceiving yourself into believing you’re taking your dream job and find you’re disappointed later. Most people want to believe that any new job they take is the ‘perfect’ job for them. Know if that’s the case for you before you jump in.

Interviewers respect questions that seek out answers to those kinds of questions. A good hiring manager will appreciate your desire to determine the fit for you as much as they are determining your fit for them. They want a good match… from both perspectives.

These are all good reasons to make sure you’re interviewing the interviewer as much as they are interviewing you! The process should be a 2-way street.

Read the full article here: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/CareerRocketeer/~3/iWf-DOu-hb8/interviewing-interviewer.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email

—Harry Urschel, Career Rocketeer

The Top 10 High Growth Functions for Job Seeking Executives in 2010
ExecuNet has just published our 2010 Executive Job Market Intelligence Report, and the executive recruiters we surveyed have identified the top high growth functions for executive job seekers in 2010:

1) Business Development

2) Sales

3) Operations Management

4) Engineering

5) Marketing

6) General Management

7) Finance

Consulting

9) R&D

10) MIS/Information Technology

—Execunet

Gilbert Resumes remains in the forefront of providing cutting edge solutions for today’s challenging job market, including strategies to build your online presence and maximize your career opportunities.

Need assistance with your career endeavors?

Resume Writing, Job Search & Interview Coaching,

Recruiter and VC/Private Equity Distribution,

Cover & Thank You Letters

Online Identity Programs

Linked Profiles

Networking Training

Contact Marty Weitzman

Gilbert Resumes

800.967.3846

http://resumepro.com

http://Executiveresumewriter.com

http://www.linkedin.com/in/resumepro

To remove your name from our mailing list, please type remove in the subject
line and send an email to martin.weitzman

Just heard great news from several clients who found new positions, including the new Chief of Police of a large city and the president of a major consumer products company in Hawaii. Majority of clients are actively interviewing. I still stress a multi-pronged approach, which includes heavy networking, answering ads, distribution to recruiters, and where appropriate, to VC/Private Equity firms as well as targeted mailing to hiring executives at companies.

Spring is here and I am going fishing Saturday.

Marty Weitzman
Gilbert Resumes

Just completed the Reach “Online Identity Certification” program. Learned some new “high tech” techniques to get maximum impact and visibility. A real boon for my clients!

Challenger, Gray & Christmas recently sent out the following email:

“Social and professional networking sites, such as Facebook and LinkedIn, have become critical components of the job search. Digital networking is an effective and positive way to expand one’s connections and find potential job opportunities.

A new entrant into the social networking world threatens to alter the landscape, and not necessarily for the better. Unvarnished.com (http://www.getunvarnished.com/beta) provides users the opportunity to post anonymous reviews of co-workers, bosses, subordinates, etc. The website’s founders said in a Chicago Tribune article that the site “encourages candid and nuanced information about prospective hires, bosses and business partners. However, many are concerned that the site will open a Pandora’s Box of negative, spiteful, dishonest reviews. The fact that the reviewer remains anonymous further complicates matters by making it impossible to determine the veracity of any claims, whether they are positive or negative.”

I am a proponent of Linkedin and Facebook but do not find great validity in a site that can be used anonymously, with no repercussions for falsities and petty vendettas that tend to permeates sites like these and cause significant and unwarranted damage.

Just my opinion.

Marty Weitzman
Gilbert Resumes
Executiveresumewriter.com

Nancy, and I celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary tomorrow, both our girls celebrate their birthdays, and getting my boat ready for April 20th launch.

One of my clients called to thank me for helping her secure a great position (Internal Audit Director), and secured new assignments with CEOs, Presidents, and COOs in Alaska, California, Florida, Texas, Connecticut, and Illinois – I just love the Internet.

Happy Holidays to all
Marty Weitzman

As time goes on, it is becomes more and more apparent that Linkedin is a must for job seekers. As part of my career services practice, I distribute my client’s, and client’s of other résumé writers, to recruiters nationwide. More and more recruiters are telling my clients to make sure they are on Linkedin, and then to please link to them.

If you are not on Linkedin, get there, and make sure you write a strong Linkedin profile.

I also recommend Jason Alba’s DVD on “Linkedin for Job Seekers”. Its available at Amazon.com for $25.00 or you can call me. I have them as well.

Marty Weitzman
Gilbert Resumes
800 967 3846

Certified Branding Coach, Résumé Writer, and Job Search Expert

As hiring authorities at companies and recruiting firms refine their online candidate searching it is imperative that job seekers “can be found,” and what is found is positive and effectively targeted.

Today, I began an intensive five-week certification program today that will provide the expertise and cutting edge tools needed to establish and or significantly improve my client’s online presence.

Marty Weitzman
Gilbert Resumes

GILBERT GAZETTE
800.967.3846

http://resumepro

http://executiveresumewriter.com

A monthly publication of Gilbert Resumes, featuring timely career
articles, career websites, and suggestions for today’s job seekers.

 _________________________________________________

1.  Transitioning to Medical Sales
2. Top 3 Ways to Find a Job in 2010
3. Executive Search Industry Expects 19% Increase in 2010

__________________________________________________________________

A Brand New Way to Transition into Medical Sales

Just when they say there is nothing new under the sun. Well, actually everything changes so why wouldn’t the job search tactics used to get into a Medical Sales position? For those of you following this blog, you know I don’t rehash old stuff; we won’t be talking about networking in this article or the latest resume-scanning processes – we’ll be talking about something entirely new.

Here’s the scenario. You’re an older sales rep. You’re in pharma. Pharma is going, well… enough said. And you want to move into Medical Sales. But you’re worried – too many medical sales reps to compete with, no medical sales experience, etc. If we all thought about the hurdles we face each day none of us would get out of bed. So – something more than words of encouragement here; there is a new way for you to get hired by a medical device/equipment company and you “ain’t” heard it elsewhere.

The idea is a 6-month contract. You propose to the prospective employer you are willing to “prove yourself” to the employer over a period of 6-months. The T&C’s (terms and conditions for all of you non-contract folks) are laid out in this contract. Bear in mind the biggest challenge you face as an “older” sales pro making a change: ROI. The employer knows you are a performer – but they typically have to convince themselves (or their boss) that you are a safe bet as an ROI. So – instead of simply hiring you as a “permanent” employee (the term “permanent” is losing its meaning these days, isn’t it!) and hoping for the best the employer gets to “kick the tires before they buy”.

Here is what you need in your contract. And I am not a laymen here; my background is in F500 HR where I wrote and edited hundreds of employment contracts – and I do stay up on the labor laws.

a.) Have the employer state in writing the specific start date and stop date of the contract.

b.) Have the employer state in writing what sales-performance will be measured. Will it be % increase vs. last year? Will it be % increase of a given geographic market? (If so – define what the “market” consists of – X number of accounts – a geographic region?). Will it be a given $ figure? If so, what is that figure? Most sales reps are given a specific $ figure over a specific period of time – and they are to achieve a % of that $ figure; so what is that %? (100% or better?)

c.) Have the employer state in writing “how” the performance above will be measured. Who will be doing the measuring? When will they be doing the measuring (you might want status reports at quarterly progress points to assure you are on target). What specific tools or processes or reporting will be used to determine your performance? This is actually the most important question of all as it is easy for you to perform up to spec and not get credit for it! (I won’t mention the term PODS here as I know someone will strike me hard with a stick).

d.) You’ll want to list – with the employer’s agreement – what options are to be considered if you do perform “up to stec” I.e., what happens now? This is really a powerful position for you now because you will either have in writing what your compensation will look like (because you determined that up front in the contract – including car, expenses, salary, bonus), or you have now “proven yourself” and are in a very good – at least much better – position to demand what you want. Further icing on the cake: you built relationships with potential customers – so don’t sign a non-compete clause on this 6-month contract. And further icing on the icing on the cake: you bought time in your job search to consider other (now open) career opportunities.

_________________________________________________

Top 3 Ways to Find a Job in 2010

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average job search as of November 2009 took 28.5 weeks — more than 7 months. That’s the longest since record keeping began in 1948.

But there is good news: People are still finding jobs, often faster than average.

How are they doing it?

From what I can see, talking to and counseling hundreds of people in 2009, successful job seekers do three things that can get you hired faster in 2010 …

1. Start with clarity

Here’s the best predictor of job-search duration: To the extent that you can clearly describe your target job title and a shortlist of 10-20 ideal employers, you will find work fast.

To the extent that you can’t, you won’t.

Think of it like this. If you walked into a bank and asked for a loan, they’d ask you a series of questions: How much do you need? What is it for? How will you pay it back?

If you can’t clearly tell the bank what you want, they can’t help you.

And if you can’t clearly tell networking contacts and potential employers what you want, they can’t help you, either.

2. Stop “networking” and start being helpful

Hands up — who loves networking? I thought so.

Like eating your broccoli, most people see networking as a necessary evil.

But it doesn’t have to be that way.

You can make better connections that lead to better job leads — and have a good time doing it — by helping other people.

Fred Stuck, from northern New Jersey, was hired last month for an IT position after networking effectively. Did he “work the room” at networking events or spring a “30-second elevator pitch” on friends and family?

No. He simply tried to be helpful.

“When a recruiter contacted me, I would say, ‘Send me the full job description,’ even if I wasn’t really interested in the job,” says Stuck.

He then offered to help the recruiter find candidates by forwarding the job description to friends and colleagues who looked like a good fit.

Stuck did more.

After being contacted by a recruiter, he asked to connect with them on LinkedIn, where many recruiters update their status with jobs they’re trying to fill. “I saw one update that said, ‘I’m looking for a Linux Systems Administrator.’ I knew someone and asked if they were in the job market. They said, ‘Yes,’ so I forwarded their LinkedIn profile to the recruiter. That person didn’t get the job, but they did get an interview.”

Meanwhile, Stuck was hired from a networking contact he made at a prior employer, in a job search that took only about half as long as the national average. He got what he wanted while helping others get what they wanted.

3. Go beyond email

Finally, let’s look at how most job seekers communicate with employers and networking contacts. It’s probably how you communicate, too.

It’s email.

And I submit that email is the root of most employment struggles.

Yes, email it convenient. But is it effective?

Put another way, if you had to get a message to someone across town by 5:00 tonight or face certain death, would you email it and then update your Facebook profile until dinner?

No. You might email that message, yes, but here’s what else you would do, in this order:

• pick up the phone, call, and ask if they got it;
• fax the message, call, and ask if they got it;
• get in your car and hand-deliver the message yourself.

So. If you wouldn’t trust your life to email, why trust your career … which provides the money you need to live your life?

If you make one resolution in 2010 make it this: Stop relying on email and online applications to find a job, and start doing whatever it takes to make personal contact at companies you want to work for.

To prove this non-email approach works, here are three mini-case studies from the Guerrilla Job Search files …

1)     Jeff Donaldson, former Chrysler program manager, hired in November 2009. He got his winning job lead from a letter he mailed to networking contacts. Time to hire: 45 days.

2)     Gail Neal, sales rep, hired in November 2009, after mailing her resume and cover letter in a thank-you note to an employer she learned of by meeting a LinkedIn contact offline. Time to hire: 52 days.

3)     Mary Berman, marketing executive assistant, also hired in November 2009, after mailing her resume and cover letter in a box, with a coffee cup, asking to meet the employer for coffee. Time to hire: 53 days.

Now. What do the three success traits in this article — clear goals, helping others, going beyond email — have in common?  Star Tribune

(My comment – While I think the article has great merit, emailing your resume to properly targeted recruiters and Venture Capital/Private Equity firms is still a valuable tool in finding a new position Many of my clients have found new positions in less than one month through resume emailing/distributing)

_________________________________________________

Executive Search Industry Expects 19% Increase in 2010

Confidence in the Executive Employment Market — Next 6 Months

Executive recruiting firms now expect a 19 percent increase in management search assignments from corporate clients — the highest since early 2008 — and are adding staff in anticipation of the growth.

According to December’s survey of 153 executive recruiters, 54 percent are confident or very confident the executive employment market will improve during the next six months — up from 50 percent in November. In addition to forecasting a double-digit increase in assignment growth in the year ahead, 21 percent of all search firms are planning to add professional staff in the first quarter of 2010.

“All of this bodes well for executive job seekers and for those employed business leaders who may have deferred searching for new career opportunities in the last 12 to 18 months,” says Mark Anderson, president and chief economist of ExecuNet. “The anticipated increase in search activity shows companies have started to expand their workforces after a long period of cutbacks.”

Introduced in May 2003, the Recruiter Confidence Index is based on a monthly survey of executive search firms conducted by resumepro&userid=29750&extra=&&&2006&&&http://www.execunet.com" target="_blank">ExecuNet, a private network for business leaders. A leading indicator for the economy and the executive job market, a reading above 50 percent indicates recruiters expect the number of search assignments in the next six months will increase.

Gilbert Resumes remains in the forefront of providing cutting edge solutions for today’s challenging job market, including strategies to build your online presence and maximize your career opportunities.

Need assistance with your career endeavors?

Resume Writing, Job Search & Interview Coaching,

Recruiter and VC/Private Equity Distribution,

Cover & Thank You Letters

Online Identities

Linked Profiles

Networking Training

Contact Marty Weitzman
Gilbert Resumes
800.967.3846
http://resumepro.com
http://Executiveresumewriter.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/resumepro

To remove your name from our mailing list, please type remove in the subject
line and send an email to martin.weitzman.

After a wonderful holiday vacation and Caribbean cruise I came back to reality. Drove 1300 miles from Miami Saturday and Sunday, and the phones were ringing Monday, and the emails were coming—–life is good.

Nancy, Danielle, and Samantha are already plotting for Xmas 2010 so I better get to work.

I hope everyone had as wonderful a Christmas/Channukah and New Year.

Marty