Comments on: If You’re Serious About Finding A Job, Don’t Do This…

By: Mark R.

Mark R. — Sun, 17 May 2009 16:43:59 +0000

Ms Lee,

Has anyone provided the elusive “#10″ to complete your post?

After reading point number 3 I immediately re-saved my resume with my name in the title – would this be sufficient, in your eyes?

Many thanks,

MJR

By: Denise Lee

Denise Lee — Tue, 12 May 2009 11:43:14 +0000

Ahh yes the “look the part” portion of job hunting. People tend to job hunt like they window shop – they do it “while they’re out” forgetting that one does not get a second chance at a first impression.

By: Roxanne

Roxanne — Tue, 12 May 2009 04:53:55 +0000

I, too, used to have to weed through resumes. I don’t envy you. It’s amazing what people will do and say when looking for a job. I would like to add – if you are going to walk into a company and fill out an application, dress appropriately. I was at a business the other day and a young lady came in dressed in ripped jeans and a shirt that was hanging off her shoulders. She asked for an application and was told there were no openings. However, this particular business was looking for a front desk person. Amazing.

Great post!!

By: Denise Lee

Denise Lee — Mon, 11 May 2009 23:19:36 +0000

Congrats on the Granny thing, grandkids are like jewelry definitely to be treasured:)

By: Lisa Edwards

Lisa Edwards — Mon, 11 May 2009 22:17:20 +0000

Great post! I dislike having to listen to all that music when I call someone, much less even to think someone would do that when they are expecting a call from a would be employer! You have the best tips!!! Printed them out and gave to my husband who is job hunting.

Also, I am going to be a first time Granny, WOO HOO. I am so excited!!Giveaway on my blog at http://www.militarymomz.blogspot.com. Post a comment on the boy name and girl name you like best out of the ones listed.

By: Lucy Lopez

Lucy Lopez — Fri, 08 May 2009 03:01:54 +0000

Hi Denise! This is a great post with some really down-to-earth advice about what not to do when job-hunting. I used to work in HR and part of that work involved interviewing potential employees.

The written resume is certainly critical as it must stand out from all the others in a ‘good’ rather than ‘bad’ way! When I’ve helped people write their resumes, aside from the basics (what I consider ‘basics’ is what other people might consider ‘advanced’ but that is why every person I’ve helped write a resume for has had an interview ), I’ve also helped them avoid the following:

*Don’t undersell yourself. Don’t lie and don’t exaggerate but don’t be shy about listing your skills, abilities and aspirations. Most people make the mistake of not mentioning their skills because they take them for granted. Also, most people don’t know how to write about their skills in a way that communicates their true capabilities.

For example, if you are able to read and respond to emails as part of your job (and you’ll be surprised how many people will omit to mention this in their skills list), don’t just say ‘I am able to read and respond to emails’, say “I routinely handle a significant volume of emails daily and am able to prioritize them and respond to them in a timely, polite and helpful way”.

You can see how the second highlights so many other skills that go into the apparently simple, mundane task of handling emails. There is no exaggeration or lies here. But you are letting the person reading it know just how much care and professionalism goes into your work! In other words, don’t just say WHAT you do, say HOW you do it.

Gosh, I’ve written far more than I expected to but I’ve had so much fun helping people write resumes over the years. They really do begin to see themselves differently and it all contributes to their confidence and self-esteem!

By: Lakisha

Lakisha — Mon, 04 May 2009 23:48:40 +0000

Hi Ms. Porter,

I really enjoyed your tips on job hunting. I found them very useful to the job hunters every where that are seriously in search of employment. Currently, I am job hunting for a postion in the marketing field. In my last two positions I served as a Marketing Manager but I have found it to be a difficult task to secure another position in this job market. I was laid off from my last position in February and I am looking to resume work right away.

I know that you are in the recruiting field so below is a copy of my resume in hopes you can forward it to a company that may be hiring. In this resume you will not find any typos, phone numbers without area codes, personal email addresses or my favorite song playing on my voicemail. You will find someone that is eager to get back to work, hard working and professional. Hopefully we can speak soon in regards to some possibilities in the near future.

Thanks for your time and advice.

Sincerely,

Lakisha Knight