“Ambition is the path to success. Persistence is the vehicle you arrive in.” ~ Bill Bradley
I wrote this BACTS Update this weekend from a secret little corner of a convention center in Las Vegas that grants some reprieve from the constant torrent of sound from a thousand volleyball girls, parents, and whistles echoing in unison.
This weekend is all about ambitious young women trying to get noticed by college coaches. They have worked hard to perfect their athletic skills and have used this weekend as a showcase to network with college coaches to “show their stuff.” I relate this whole weekend recruiting experience to what all of you are going through. You’ve perfected your skills, and you want to be noticed too. The question is: How ambitious are you? What are you doing to get noticed?
The prospective college athlete does their homework. They research the colleges of interest, find the email address for the coach and write them, include a skills video (their version of a resume), and then follow up routinely with multiple emails and calls. Their ambition is undeniable. They know there is much competition between players and schools. They find a way to get on the radar of the college and coach they are interested in.
Similarly, the competition between candidates and available positions remain stiff. Here are a few tips to help increase your odds for getting on the radar of the company you are interested in working for.
· Identify 10 companies you have interest in that you have not contacted.
I wrote this BACTS Update this weekend from a secret little corner of a convention center in Las Vegas that grants some reprieve from the constant torrent of sound from a thousand volleyball girls, parents, and whistles echoing in unison.
This weekend is all about ambitious young women trying to get noticed by college coaches. They have worked hard to perfect their athletic skills and have used this weekend as a showcase to network with college coaches to “show their stuff.” I relate this whole weekend recruiting experience to what all of you are going through. You’ve perfected your skills, and you want to be noticed too. The question is: How ambitious are you? What are you doing to get noticed?
The prospective college athlete does their homework. They research the colleges of interest, find the email address for the coach and write them, include a skills video (their version of a resume), and then follow up routinely with multiple emails and calls. Their ambition is undeniable. They know there is much competition between players and schools. They find a way to get on the radar of the college and coach they are interested in.
Similarly, the competition between candidates and available positions remain stiff. Here are a few tips to help increase your odds for getting on the radar of the company you are interested in working for.
· Identify 10 companies you have interest in that you have not contacted.
· Get the name of the hiring manager (for your department of interest) either on the website, or call the main switchboard and ask for this information. Do not rely on Human Resources to completely understand the match between your expertise /resume and the match for the position. Email the hiring manager directly.
· Do some research on this person through LinkedIn or Google. Find out if you have anything in common (i.e. schools, previous industry or company. connection, or something of a personal nature such as both of you are tri-athletes, or are both soccer coaches…) Use this information somehow creatively in your cover letter.
· Look carefully at your cover letter and resume. I mean REALLY look at it. Is it concise, precise and to the point? Does it tell the recruiter what you did in your last position and how it positively affected the company’s bottom line? Is it easy to follow and understand? As mentioned above, try to creatively connect with the hiring manager with the wording and content in your cover letter. Let’s say you find out you both have some sport association. Mention something along the lines of, “As a long time soccer coach, I understand the importance of building a team and creating a vision for success…”
Act like a prospective college athlete, who follows up with the school of interest. Do the same and follow up via email or LinkedIn to the Hiring Manager to keep your name circulating within the organization. Use LinkedIn to also find out what connections you may have with the hiring manager, and use your network to help get you noticed!
GOOD NEWS: A good friend and colleague has just started as an Independent Distributor of Life Vantage,
CONGRATULATIONS: To Amy B., who recently took a position with a brand new Educational startup company in the Temecula area. Amy writes, “I would like to encourage the rest of the group to keep their personal relationships with contacts alive. This opportunity came completely out of left field and only happened because I was friends with specific people.”
BACTS FACT: “I can spot an ambitious candidate a mile away…they are the ones who have a clear view of their future.” ~J. Smith
THAT'S IT: “It’s not easy being green”…at least that’s what Kermit the Frog from the Muppet’s routinely says. It’s also not easy being unemployed in this marketplace. The game of recruitment is not for the faint of heart. For many of you, it’s been way too long and your stamina is weakening. Find a way to renew your ambition to find a job. No one is going to champion you but yourself.
“The very substance of the ambitious is merely the shadow of a dream.” ~Shakespeare. The college bound athlete knows how to hold on to their desired dream and they push through with such persistence until they reach their goal. I hope you can persist as well.
Good luck on the job search this week,
Jan
Jan M. Smith
Inland Management Group
Human Resource Consulting & Support to the Service Industry
(951) 302-6483
www.inlandmgtgroup.com
www.janmsmith.com
Twitter: @temecula_hr
Facebook: http://facebook.com/InlandManagementGroup
LinkedIn: http://www.LinkedIn.com/in/janmsmith
