Tuesday, April 28, 2009

3 signs of an effective job seeker...

Number 1: Your resume tells a compelling story about the talent you have to offer. That means you are much more likely to receive plenty of interview invitations.

Practically everyone has a resume in some form or another. Recruiters and hiring managers receive hundreds for every opening. Of course, each of these candidates believe they are qualified and right for the job - So why aren’t they getting called? At this stage of the screening process, being in the right place at the right time is one factor. The other is having a stellar resume that fits in the right blend of information related to the target position. Many believe this is just a matter of jotting down some bullets of responsibilities from previous work experience along with education and miscellaneous skills. That is quite a common approach, but not necessarily the best way to stand out from the competition. Sure there are plenty of books and online resources to help build a resume, but unless you have an eye for detail and a knack for written communication, that style may not produce desired outcomes either. How about attending a resume seminar or job fair to have someone look over your resume and give feedback? It can be a great place to start and sure to generate some improvement, but still there could be something lacking. That might be the unique recipe that screams “hire me” to the person on the receiving end of your resume. Don’t you want your resume to have that special “je ne sais qua?”

Number 2: During interviews you portray yourself as a confident-competent-complete package to potential employers.
When you do that you are much more likely to be considered as a top contender for a job offer.

No doubt about it, interviews are stressful for most people! The trick is to be prepared and be comfortable speaking authoritatively about your subject-matter. Which of course couldn’t be any easier since you are merely talking about YOU, right? Well, maybe not so much… In the unknown territory of a strange place, meeting new people for the very first time, having the pressure of making a good impression, it is not as simple as it may sound to be remembered for all of the right reasons. Even the most confident, poised and experienced professionals have their nervous moments and miss the mark when interviewing. There could be a very subtle difference between a turn-on and a turn-off to a finicky hiring decision-maker. Could you be inadvertently sabotaging your chances and never know what went wrong?

Number 3: Your job search activities produce new and interesting leads on a regular basis.
This makes you so busy interacting with future hiring managers and employment prospects that your contacts are wondering what your secret is in this challenging economy.

Internet job boards have become the norm to match job seekers with employers for well over a decade. However, depending solely on these venues to learn about employment opportunities can be a huge mistake. Many job seekers assume that once they click “apply here,” there is nothing else to do except wait for the phone to ring. When that doesn’t happen, the complain about the system not reading their key words properly, or maybe wondering if they should have applied on the first day they saw the job versus three days later. Well really, none of that matters much. Taking a passive approach to a job search is likely to produce frustration and long waits between prospects. Statistics suggest that up to 80% of jobs are found through referrals, word-of-mouth, social networking and other relationship-based methods. Therefore, it is more important than ever to recognize the hidden potential and leverage it to your advantage. How intriguing would it be to learn about your next job while picking up your dry cleaning?

How does one become a more effective job seeker to avoid the issues described above? A streamlined job search strategy can give you the advantage you need through the support and advice from your TalentTalks career coach. Partnering with us is an investment in your talent!
Are you treating your professional brand with the attention it deserves?

Regards,
Kelly Blokdijk
kelly@talenttalks.com 949.394.7371

TalentTalks
Creating a Voice for Talent
Career Services Professional Communications HR & OD Consulting
www.talenttalks.com

Saturday, April 18, 2009

TalentTalks Overview Information Sheet

Kelly Blokdijk, founder of TalentTalks, focuses on providing clients with unparalleled, distinctive talent management expertise in all areas of career management and human resource & organization development functionality – leading to individual and organization success. Kelly’s professional background consists of more than 25 years in diverse corporate settings, including a decade in the human resources field. She has built a well-rounded generalist portfolio of accomplishments in each of the following industries: Internet marketing, commercial real estate, healthcare, technology, manufacturing, retail and distribution.

Are you ready to make an investment in your TALENT? Contact TalentTalks today to get started!
www.talenttalks.com ∙ 949-394-7371 ∙ kelly@talenttalks.com

TalentTalks Specialties

Resume Design & Preparation, Organization & Change Management, Talent Management & Talent Acquisition Strategies, Interview & Job Search Coaching, Web Branding, Marketing & PR Content, Performance Management & Employee, Relations, Transition Planning & Career Workshops, Professional & Executive Profiles, Customized Training & Facilitation

During her varied human resources and talent acquisition positions, Kelly was personally responsible for making hundreds of hiring decisions and candidate recommendations. As chief career coach with TalentTalks, Kelly leverages her vast screening and selection experience to provide a unique career management perspective to her clients. With a high level of personalized support, clients are able to refresh their professional image and invigorate their personal brand to target the most ideal career opportunities.


Another core competency Kelly delivers as TalentTalks primary communication specialist, is the ability to create professional quality business communications for various individual or organizational messaging needs, including public relations, media, web content, branding, executive profiles, change management, user-guides, policies and procedures and marketing material.

An avid “learner,” Kelly vigorously pursues continuous education and professional development opportunities and is rarely satisfied with the status quo! Through TalentTalks HR & OD consulting, Kelly optimizes this passion by “creating a voice for talent!” All of her efforts align to improve and enhance existing processes and communication to guide individuals and organizations closer to achieving their vision.

In the HR & OD arena, Kelly is well regarded for: Outstanding ability to view situations holistically from a systems-perspective; Delivering sound strategic advice; Poposing comprehensive options & recommending courses of action; Exceptional communication skills; presenting, sharing ideas and opinions; Responsiveness & conscientiousness; Impressive interpersonal skills; approachable, diplomatic & objective


Times are tough and competition is tougher!

By now practically everyone knows someone (or is someone) looking for a new job…

Many people don’t realize that the main purpose of their resume is to get interviews; and the key purpose of an interview is to get an offer

Along with all of that, there are many other areas of a career campaign that might not seem obvious to those finding themselves in a position of looking for a job in this challenging economy and job market. Technology and social media have made some interesting changes to the way organizations and individuals connect and establish employment relationships. Now more than ever, it is important to leverage every possible tool and resource for one’s career management strategy. If you or someone you know is:

Seeking a new job, but not getting interviews - might need a “resume rescue.”

Getting interviews, but not offers – might need an “interview intervention.”

Only looking for jobs online, but not getting any replies - might need some “job searching secrets.”

Applying for plenty, but not getting any results - might need some “creative career coaching.”

Have not looked for a job for a while – might need some “proactive practice & preparation.”

If any of this sounds familiar, please contact TalentTalks for information on how we can help.
www.talenttalks.com or kelly@talenttalks.com or 949-394-7371.

TalentTalks provides Career Services, Professional Communications and Human Resource & Organization Development Consulting to individual and business clients.

For a limited time, we are offering discounted rates as our “Career STIMULUS Package.”


Also, please remember that many job search expenses are tax deductable (check with your financial planner, tax advisor or the IRS for details).