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© 2013 Knock em Dead and Martin Yate, CPC. All Rights Reserved.
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The universally accepted gold standard for job search and career management strategy in an uncertain world.
Topics Include: How To Build Social Networks, Get More Interviews, Turn Interviews into Offers
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Knock em Dead
Savvy Strategies For Overcoming Unspoken Age-BiasTue, 08 Jan 2013 18:48:00 +0000
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| Martin Yate CPC 35 Years in Career Management |
You don’t often face illegal questions about age at job interviews anymore, but the age question is always posed, even when it remains unspoken. When common sense tells you that your age is being used against you, leaving the interview without addressing the issue and making an argument in your favor is folly. The challenge then becomes, “How do I deal with it?” Here is a strategy to help you turn this liability into an asset.
Read more »
Are These E-mail Mistakes Killing Your Reputation?
Thu, 20 Dec 2012 17:08:00 +0000
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| Martin Yate CPC NY Times Bestseller 35 Years in Career Management |
“Bigbear” was approaching me for advice on serious resume and career problems, but why should I take someone seriously when he so plainly doesn’t take himself seriously?
Are you, like BigBear, one of the millions of professionals damaging their professional reputations by making careless e-mail mistakes? E-mail has become the default business communication tool, and your job search e-mails play a significant role in how you are perceived. This perception in turn colors the way your professional communications are interpreted.
Read more »
Resumes for Inexperienced job-hunters
Wed, 28 Nov 2012 21:26:00 +0000
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| Martin Yate CPC NY Times Bestseller 35 Years in Career Management |
If you want your resume to succeed in today’s world of database-driven recruitment, you have three major considerations:
1. Your resume needs to be data-dense to be found in database searches
2. Your resume needs to be succinct and focused on a specific target job
3. Your resume needs to be visually accessible and readable
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Marketwatch.com - 9 Tips to help jobseekers beat age bias
Tue, 27 Nov 2012 16:56:00 +0000
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| By Andrea Coombes |
Nov. 21, 2012, 7:00 a.m. EST
9 tips to help jobseekers beat age bias
Age discrimination is alive and well in the U.S., but there are strategies mature job seekers can employ to improve their chances of overcoming it.
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The career deal of a lifetime!
Tue, 27 Nov 2012 00:23:00 +0000
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| Martin Yate CPC NY Times Bestseller 35 Years in Career Management |
The complete Knock em Dead job search and career management library will be on sale for only $1.99 each on Amazon From December 2nd – 15th:
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Finding Contacts For Cover Letters
Mon, 19 Nov 2012 19:44:00 +0000
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| Martin Yate CPC NY Times Best-Seller 35 Years in Career Management |
CBS MoneyWatch recently interviewed me about cover letters, specifically:
· What to do when you don't know a hiring manager's name
· How to get your point across
· How to sign off
These are three serious challenges that require considered solutions:
Read more »
Thinking of tending bar over the holidays? What you can gain besides some extra cash
Wed, 14 Nov 2012 20:12:00 +0000
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| Martin Yate CPC NY Times Best-Seller 35 Years in Career Management |
The holidays are upon us and many hard-working people take on seasonal party and banquet to earn needed holiday cash. Have you ever considered tending bar or another food and beverage job? What do you have to gain besides the extra income?
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Flash Card Friday Q&A - Before starting a salary negotiation, what steps should you take?
Fri, 02 Nov 2012 11:00:00 +0000
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| Martin Yate CPC NY Times Best-Seller 35 Years in Career Management |
Knock em Dead Job Interview Flash Cards
300 Answers to the toughest interview questions
By: Martin Yate CPC
Question #287
Posted Friday November 2
How recent grads can build useful networking and mentor relationships
Wed, 31 Oct 2012 16:56:00 +0000
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| Martin Yate CPC NY Times Best-Seller 35 Years in Career Management |
New generations entering the professional world always get accused of lacking humility, a good work ethic, pride in their profession, and an eagerness to learn. It is being said of your generation today, which is great, because you can use this bad press of your generation to enormous personal advantage.
Read more »
Flash Card Friday Q&A - What Is Your Salary History?
Fri, 26 Oct 2012 20:48:00 +0000
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| Martin Yate CPC NY Times Best-Seller 35 Years in Career Management |
Knock em Dead Job Interview Flash Cards
300 Answers to the toughest interview questions
By: Martin Yate CPC
Question #288
Posted Friday October 26
The Keys To Financial Survival - Visibility and Preparation
Mon, 22 Oct 2012 14:09:00 +0000
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| Martin Yate CPC NY Times Best-Seller 35 Years in Career Management |
Read more »
Flash Card Friday Q&A - How Should I Handle a Felony?
Fri, 19 Oct 2012 17:21:00 +0000
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| Martin Yate CPC NY Times Best-Seller 35 Years in Career Management |
Knock em Dead Job Interview Flash Cards
300 Answers to the toughest interview questions
By: Martin Yate CPC
Question #72
Posted Friday October 19
How To Increase Job Security
Wed, 17 Oct 2012 19:01:00 +0000
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| Martin Yate CPC NY Tmes Best-Seller 35 Years in Career Management |
Try to see yourself and your work in this light: You are a problem solver with a particular area of expertise. This will lead you to engage in your work with new priorities:
Read more »
Resume Muscle - How to Make Room for Supporting Skills
Mon, 15 Oct 2012 15:41:00 +0000
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| Martin Yate CPC NY Times Best-Seller 35 Years In Career Managment |
If you want your resume pulled from the resume databases and read with serious attention, you need to give it the right focus. To do this, you need to highlight the skills and capabilities used in the Job Postings that describe your target job, because these are the words that recruiters are most likely to use when they search resume databases for someone like you.
Generally speaking, recruiters will not read your resume unless it ranks in the top 20 results of that database search, because for the most part they don’t have to dig any deeper to find a suitable candidate. This means your resume must be data-dense, filled to the brim with the keywords that will float it to the top of the list and get it read by recruiters. These keywords invariably describe the “must have” skills of the job.
Read more »
Flash Card Friday Q & A - Tell me about a time when you came up with a new method or idea
Fri, 12 Oct 2012 15:35:00 +0000
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| Martin Yate CPC NY Times Best-Seller 35 Years in Career Management |
Knock em Dead Job Interview Flash Cards
300 Answers to the toughest interview questions
By: Martin Yate CPC
Question #60
Posted Friday October 12
Are Resumes Obsolete? Resume vs. Social Media Profile
Thu, 11 Oct 2012 15:56:00 +0000
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| Martin Yate CPC NY Times Best-Seller 35 Years In Career Managment |
Social media sites like LinkedIn have given recruiters an effective recruiting resource and job seekers a totally new way to make themselves visible.
Much has been said recently about your resume being outmoded as a job search tool and that all you need now is a social media profile.
Adulthood has few terrors worse than the prospect of writing a resume, and a life without having to write a resume, or a social media profile for that matter, would indeed be a beautiful thing. However, neither is going to happen because each fulfills a different role in your job search and you need them both.
Read more »
Flash Card Friday Q&A - What are some of the things you find difficult to do?
Fri, 05 Oct 2012 21:24:00 +0000
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| Martin Yate CPC NY Times Best-Seller' 35 Years in Career Management |
Knock em Dead Job Interview Flash Cards
300 Answers to the toughest interview questions
By: Martin Yate CPC
Question #274
Posted Friday October 5
Why Intelligent Enthusiasm Always Wins the Job Offer
Wed, 03 Oct 2012 11:00:00 +0000
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| Martin Yate CPC NY Times Best-Seller 35 Years in Career Management |
In a tightly run job race, when the two top candidates have equal qualifications, the job offer will always go to the most intelligently enthusiastic candidate. The problem for most of us is that interviews are stressful events, and under stress our defenses go up and any natural enthusiasm for our work is buried in a wall of stiff professionalism.
This can get in the way of winning job offers, because employers see enthusiasm for your work as signal that:
You are more likely to invest yourself in developing competency in the skills of your profession.
You will work harder and will turn in a superior work product.
You will be easier to work with, and more likely to become a productive team player.
However, while making yourself smile and saying you want the job shows enthusiasm and is more than many people will do, it’s rarely enough.
Look at Your Work in New Ways
Intelligent enthusiasm can only be expressed with a deep understanding of your work, its challenges, and your evident enjoyment in tackling those challenges every day. For most people, achieving this understanding requires looking at the work you do in a new way.
Your job exists for one reason only, as a small but important cog in the complex machinery that helps your employer make money. Your job does this by bringing money in, stopping it going out, or otherwise improving productivity. You need to think through whether your job is chiefly concerned with revenue generation, asset protection, improving productivity in some way, or is perhaps a combination of these activities.
Once you have determined how your job, and in turn your department, contributes to profitability, you need to think about how your performance in that job can help you make your maximum contribution.
Whatever your job title or level of professional elevation on the ladder of success the true guts of your job are:
However, while making yourself smile and saying you want the job shows enthusiasm and is more than many people will do, it’s rarely enough.
Look at Your Work in New Ways
Intelligent enthusiasm can only be expressed with a deep understanding of your work, its challenges, and your evident enjoyment in tackling those challenges every day. For most people, achieving this understanding requires looking at the work you do in a new way.
Your job exists for one reason only, as a small but important cog in the complex machinery that helps your employer make money. Your job does this by bringing money in, stopping it going out, or otherwise improving productivity. You need to think through whether your job is chiefly concerned with revenue generation, asset protection, improving productivity in some way, or is perhaps a combination of these activities.
Once you have determined how your job, and in turn your department, contributes to profitability, you need to think about how your performance in that job can help you make your maximum contribution.
Whatever your job title or level of professional elevation on the ladder of success the true guts of your job are:
To understand the professional landscape of your work well enough that you can anticipate, identify, and execute your responsibilities in ways that prevent problems from arising in the first place.
To expeditiously solve the problems that nevertheless occur every day within your area of responsibility; and to do so with concern for how your execution will impact customers, vendors, and others who in their turn have to deal with the results of your work.
How to Express Intelligent Enthusiasm
Hiring managers base their judgments of your professional competency partly on the statements you make in response to their questions about the work you do, and partly on the questions you ask; because the questions you ask can display a depth of understanding that statements do not.
You express intelligent enthusiasm by enthusiastically discussing the real issues of your work; having examples ready that show your engagement in the way you execute your work to both prevent and solve problems typical of your area of expertise.
You also express intelligent enthusiasm by asking questions about the problems this new job will typically dump on your desk every week, and both how this hiring manager likes them handled, and the problems s/he has in getting them handled that way.
Let understanding and enthusiasm for your work shine through, because when it comes to a tightly run job race between equally qualified candidates, that job offer will always go to the most intelligently enthusiastic candidate. Show enthusiasm for your work, your profession, and the opportunity; it just might be the tiebreaker that delivers your ideal job.
To expeditiously solve the problems that nevertheless occur every day within your area of responsibility; and to do so with concern for how your execution will impact customers, vendors, and others who in their turn have to deal with the results of your work.
How to Express Intelligent Enthusiasm
Hiring managers base their judgments of your professional competency partly on the statements you make in response to their questions about the work you do, and partly on the questions you ask; because the questions you ask can display a depth of understanding that statements do not.
You express intelligent enthusiasm by enthusiastically discussing the real issues of your work; having examples ready that show your engagement in the way you execute your work to both prevent and solve problems typical of your area of expertise.
You also express intelligent enthusiasm by asking questions about the problems this new job will typically dump on your desk every week, and both how this hiring manager likes them handled, and the problems s/he has in getting them handled that way.
Let understanding and enthusiasm for your work shine through, because when it comes to a tightly run job race between equally qualified candidates, that job offer will always go to the most intelligently enthusiastic candidate. Show enthusiasm for your work, your profession, and the opportunity; it just might be the tiebreaker that delivers your ideal job.
Martin Yate
Copyright 2012
All rights reserved
Flash Card Friday Q&A - What do you like/dislike about your current job?
Fri, 28 Sep 2012 16:28:00 +0000
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| Martin Yate CPC NY Times Best-Seller 35 Years in Career Management |
300 Answers to the toughest interview questions
By: Martin Yate CPC
Question #66
Posted Friday September 28
How Your LinkedIn Profile Helps You Land Your Next Opportunity
Mon, 24 Sep 2012 14:40:00 +0000
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| Martin Yate CPC NY Times Best-Seller 35 Years in Career Management |
You live in the digital age, the communication era, and all personal and professional communication has become Internet based. This change has revolutionized the ways companies recruit talent, which means the tools of career management strategy have had to evolve too.
Eighty percent of all U.S. companies use LinkedIn to recruit talent, so for most of us, professional growth demands an effective LinkedIn social media profile because LinkedIn has become the social center of your profession and the headhunters and recruiters who serve that profession.
Read more »
Are your references working for you?
Wed, 19 Sep 2012 11:00:00 +0000
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| Martin Yate CPC NY Times Best Seller 35 Years in Career Management |
It is said that 75% of employers check references, yet many people never speak to their professional references at all, or do so only at the end of a job search, when a job offer is imminent. This can be a costly mistake.
When you intend to use certain references because you believe that they will speak well of you, why not confirm it and leverage that good will throughout your job search? References can represent superb networking resources, after all, who better to ask for a lead or a referral than someone who knows and thinks well of you? Contacting potential references can even lead directly to jobs with their employers. The worst that can happen is that you identify and have time to replace a weak reference with a strong one.
Your references and job search strategy
Identify as many potential references as possible, the more you have, the better your references will ultimately be because of your increased options. While identifying and confirming who are your best references is valuable in itself, you can also learn to use all of them as a valuable part of your networking strategy.
Talk to your potential references
Make a list of all the people who could possibly act as references, the more the merrier, and then verify what kind of reference each is likely to offer. You’ll find that old colleagues, managers, and even their managers, will invariably be happy to talk. Calling early in the day, at lunchtime or at the end of the day maximizes your chances of a relaxed conversation.
Start with a clear introduction, “John, this is ____, we worked together at Citibank between 2002 and 2006. How have you been?” Then after the response, “John, as I am making a transition, I called to see if I can use you as a reference when the time comes?” The response will invariably be positive, so you can move on, “Thanks, John, I hoped you would say that. Let me update you about what I have been doing recently and tell you about the type of job I’m after.”
Give a capsule description of what you’ve done since you worked together, talk about what you can do with the skills and experience you have today, not the job you dream of doing. Our dream jobs tend to be aspirational, but in today’s employment market professionals get hired based on their credentials, not their potential. When you talk about that dream job, the specifics only reduce your chances of receiving leads and your lack of credentials reduce the chances of generating offers.
Give references your resume
Ask each reference if s/he would take a look at your resume. This gets your resume into hands likely to pass it on to others, and it gives you a reason to follow up with that reference in two or three weeks.
With this approach, you have detailed the kind of work you can do and the reference will be receiving your resume, so there is no need be pushy about asking for a job in this first conversation, when you can nurture a productive relationship.
The more potential references you contact, results in more people who know your capabilities intimately becoming available as networking resources throughout your job search.
Nurture your reference relationships
Follow up your call with a thank you e-mail, then you can network with each of these potential references every month or two, either for input on who to speak to about a job with a particular company for other intelligence relevant to your search.
Your relationship shouldn’t be a one-way street of requests for assistance; you can bring value to the relationship as well. In your job search, Murphy’s Law dictates that you will come constantly come across jobs that aren’t quite right for you. However, such jobs could be perfect for one of your references, and even if it isn’t the right opportunity, your goodwill is always appreciated and will be returned.
Using your best references
When a job offer is on the table, the majority of employers will want to check your references. With a selection of references to choose from you can call each one to explain the job’s responsibilities and deliverables, and then ask what they would feel comfortable in saying about your suitability for the job as a reference.
With this approach, your references provide assistance and support throughout your job search and you get choose the best references to use at offer time.
Martin Yate
Copyright 2012
All rights reserved
Martin Yate http://www.knockemdead.com/
Do You Need To Follow Up After a Job Interview?
Mon, 17 Sep 2012 11:00:00 +0000
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| Martin Yate CPC NY Times Best Seller 35 Years in Career Management |
A Knock em Dead follower writes, “I went to an interview yesterday and I thought it went really well. Do I need to follow up or is that over-kill?
How important is follow-up??
A follow-up letter or email demonstrates your interest in the job, andyour professionalism by taking the time and effort to follow through on your meetings properly. Quite simply, hiring managers expect it and not to do so, hands the advantage to a candidate who does.
Read more »
Flash Card Friday Q&A - What should you do if the interviewer experiences constant interruptions from the phone or by employees walking into the office?
Fri, 14 Sep 2012 16:22:00 +0000
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| Martin Yate CPC NY Times Best Seller 35 Years in Career Management |
Knock em Dead Job Interview Flash Cards
300 Answers to the toughest interview questions
By: Martin Yate CPC
Question # 165
Posted Friday September 13
Q) What should you do if the interviewer experiences constant interruptions from the phone or by employees walking into the office?
Cosmo quotes "Secrets & Strategies" - The Interview Trap Smart Women Fall Into
Thu, 13 Sep 2012 19:38:00 +0000
No matter how confident and qualified you are, experts say this common slip-up can ruin your chances of getting the gig. The annoying part: It's something guys never have to worry about.Read more »
Are cover letters to hiring managers and headhunters different?
Wed, 12 Sep 2012 17:04:00 +0000
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| Martin Yate CPC NY Times Best Seller 35 Years in Career Management |
A visitor asks, “What are the differences between a cover letter to a recruiter and one to a hiring manager? Do you make the same points?” Good question, there are distinct similarities and differences.
The similarities
The overall intent of a letter to any recruiter or a hiring manager is to get into conversation, because nothing happens until job hunters and professionals in the selection cycle start talking to each other.
The structure of the letter also remains the same, regardless of the recipient. Your letter should
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