Dear Friend, When I finally reached the end of my initial job search, I was not a different person than when I was going through rejection after rejection. What was different was that I had learned--the hard way--how to manage the process. I've changed careers five times over the years and have had the opportunity to test my strategies as I moved from advertising to options trading to executive search to online brokerage to outplacement to corporate training. It isn't an accident that it took me 80 interviews to land my first job, yet each time I made a transition, I did it in one interview. To put it simply, I know these strategies work. More importantly, I learned about myself with each position. As a result, I've realized my true passion is helping people identify, leverage, and communicate the gold in their background. Better still, I get to use these skills every day as a corporate trainer and career coach.  Having finally arrived at a career I love, I am in no hurry to make a change. If I were to make a change--and I'm being completely honest here--I have no way to know or guarantee if I could do it again in a single interview. What I do know is that the process would be A LOT shorter than the average person because I know the mistakes and how to avoid them. To share this knowledge, I have written a number of additional EBooks that reveal the secrets no single person or resource was able to teach me (see detailed info below). These EBooks cover three of the areas where people make the most mistakes--résumés, working with headhunters, and informational interviews. Each EBook has examples and strategies that go beyond what is available in my book, Getting Your Foot in the Door When You Don't Have A Leg To Stand On (McGraw-Hill). In addition, I am in the process of finalizing EBooks on interview strategies, effective cover letters, and overcoming job search procrastination. If you would like to be the first to hear when these become available, please send me an email: rob@careercraftsman.com. Be sure to include the subject "EBook list" and the specific topics most interesting to you.  By the way, if there are additional issues you would like to see covered in future EBooks, please let me know. I am happy to share what I know and help in any way I can.  Your friend, Rob Sullivan ---- EBook Info and Order Form Click the links or scroll down for additional information about each EBook. Ordering information can be found at the bottom of the page. résumé Strategy: Résumé Bullets Don't Work! (and Other Surprising Issues That May Keep Your Résumé From Getting The Attention It Deserves) INFORMATIONAL INTERVIEWS: How To Turn An Info Interview Into An Offer (Without Putting The Person On The Spot For a Job) HEADHUNTERS: Becoming The Envy of Your Boss and Co-Workers (Who Will Wonder Why Headhunters Called You First)

I. Résumé BULLETS DON'T WORK! (and Other Surprising Issues That May Keep Your Résumé From Getting The Attention It Deserves)

Do you ever look at your résumé and think: "I need to find a way to make this seem better than it is"? Having reviewed literally thousands of résumés as a recruiter, headhunter, and career coach, I can honestly say most résumés are not at all effective. Over the years, I have done countless informal surveys of hiring managers and recruiters to discover what percent of the résumés they consider effective. In this case, “effective” is loosely defined as follows:

Based on the résumé alone, the person applying for the job appears
        to be qualified.

By this definition, less than 1% of the résumés are considered effective.

Even fewer are COMPELLING. This is truly disturbing considering that the résumé may be your one and only shot to get an interview. Deep down, most people realize their résumé isn’t what it could be. The problem is that they don’t know what to do about it. Why? Because there is so much misinformation in the world about what makes a résumé effective.

As a career coach, I am always on the lookout for ways to help my clients and readers improve the way they are marketing themselves. My thinking on résumés has evolved significantly since my book, Getting Your Foot In The Door When You Don’t Have A Leg To Stand On (McGraw-Hill) was published. For this reason, I created this EBook.

Please be aware, this EBook is about CONTENT rather than format. This is not about jamming your experience into some cookie-cutter template. If that’s what you are looking for, this EBook won’t help. This EBook is strictly for people who want to be strategic and are willing to take the time to tell their story in the most effective way. It’s the difference between having a recruiter think, “This could be anybody in the world including _________” or “There isn’t anyone in the world this could be except __________, and I can’t wait to meet him or her.”

 Here are just a few of the things you will learn:

• WHY BULLET POINTS DON’T WORK. This is the single most revolutionary insight I have had regarding résumés. Bullet points have a fundamental flaw. I'll teach you how you can get past this.
   
• A Before/After example of an actual bullet point that camouflaged an amazing accomplishment. The entry raised more questions than it addressed—none of which would ever inspire a hiring manager to pick up the phone and invite the person in for an interview. You'll get an in-depth analysis of how we deconstructed the experience and pieced it back together to communicate more powerfully.
   
• A not-so-obvious reason headhunters and recruiters may consciously avoid calling you that has nothing to do with your experience, racial profiling, or any other form of discrimination. I’ll show you an easy step you can take to make sure this doesn’t happen to you.
   
• Over 17 specific, real-life examples to demonstrate the points covered in the report. These examples cover a wide range of industries and categories including:  public relations, accounting, manufacturing, event planning, information technology, marketing, software development, purchasing, environmental impact, and office management.
  
   

Résumé Strategy

• Why a résumé isn’t always the best tool to get a job (and what is).
   
• Why the dictionary definition for résumé is wrong and the negative impact this may be having on your approach.
• Why responsibilities are rarely a good idea to include.
   

Common (and Dangerous) Misconceptions

• Why your job title may be working against you (and what you can do to more accurately represent your role).
• 2 common résumé entries that should almost never be included.
• Why the “10-year Rule of Thumb” for how far to go back on the résumé is frequently not the approach. I’ll share a different rule of thumb to help you decide what is appropriate for YOU.
• What résumé readers are looking for and why this requires violating the traditional rules of editing.  
   
   

Summary Statements

• When to include summary statements (and how to approach it so you avoid making it the long-winded waste of space these statements usually turn out to be).
• A real-life Before/After summary statement to show how a person who has difficulty quantifying his or her experience can create a meaningful, memorable impression.
• The type of job hunter who would miss a big opportunity by NOT including a summary statement. 
  
   

Even More

• How to choose a filename for email attachments that instantly positions you as a savvy, sophisticated job hunter.
• Spelling errors that frequently show up on résumés that SpellCheck doesn’t always catch.
• If your résumé isn’t generating the kind of results you want, the time has come for a different approach.
• For a fraction of what a one-on-one coaching session would cost, “Why Most Résumés Are HOPELESSLY INEFFECTIVE” will give you the insights gained from over 15 years of coaching people in transition.

II.   HOW TO TURN AN INFO INTERVIEW INTO AN OFFER (without putting the person on the spot for a job)

One of the most misunderstood—and misused—techniques in the job seeker’s arsenal is the informational interview. Why? Because there is so much misinformation about what an informational interview really is and how it should be conducted.

This is truly something I learned the hard way. I eagerly set up informational interviews, but quickly found myself face-to-face with people who spent our time together explaining why they wouldn't be able to hire me. It was a painful experience for both parties, I assure you.

To help you avoid the missed opportunity and embarrassment that plagued my early search, I created the EBook, “How To Turn Info Interviews Into An Offer (Without Putting The Person On The Spot For A Job)”. In it, I share real-life examples of the mistakes that can be made (including a few embarrassing ones of my own) along with strategies for conducting an informational interview that yields results.

First, I'll describe, in plain English, the key difference between an informational interview and an actual job interview. Then we'll explore the fundamental differences between an informational interview and a networking meeting. These distinctions are important because your understanding can impact the outcome of the meeting and the likelihood that you walk away with an opportunity.

If you bring up the subject of informational interviews with a group of almost any size, you are likely to hear some self-proclaimed “expert” talk passionately about why this technique doesn’t work. What these people don’t realize is that they are almost always sabotaging the process without ever realizing it. This EBook will show you how.

You will also learn:
 

Questioning Strategies

• One question you should NEVER ask in an informational interview—or any interview for that matter—that countless books on job hunting actually recommend specifically.
• 3 types of questions often recommended by networking “experts” that could easily undermine your chances of a successful outcome.
• 5 questions you SHOULD ask to help you assess if a particular position is a good fit.
• 9 questions you can ask in almost any informational interview that will help you come across as thoughtful and intelligent.
• A specific category of questions to avoid except in unusual circumstances.

Myths and Surprising Facts

• Why interviews will spend more time reading your résumé in an informational interview.
   
• Why the odds are stacked heavily against online job seekers—and how you can use informational interviews to improve these odds significantly.
   
• How one “experienced” networker unwittingly showed his true colors and destroyed his chances with potential contacts in less than 30 seconds (and how you can avoid this common mistake).
   
• A strategy frequently recommended by “experts” to build your network that will actually have the opposite effect.  

Word-For-Word Strategies To Avoid Being Tongue-tied

• A simple, direct quote you can use to help you lay the foundation for a lasting business relationship.
• A word-for-word voicemail message you easily tailor to your own situation that will increase the likelihood of a return phone call.

Ways To Identify And Overcome Limiting Beliefs

• A systematic, 6-question approach to understand and overcome the limiting beliefs that may be sabotaging your efforts.
• A 4-step process designed specifically to help you overcome the fear of contacting complete strangers.
• A quick and easy way to stop viewing yourself as a potential pest and start recognizing the many unexpected opportunities there are to find people who will be GRATEFUL to receive your call—even if you are a complete stranger to them. (And it’s not about memorizing mantras or mindless affirmations either.)

Other Helpful Insights

•  What the experience of buying high-ticket items like cars and houses can teach you about effective informational interviews.
• Why employers would WELCOME informational interviews if candidates conducted them more effectively and strategically.
• How you can use informational interviews to get valuable feedback about what is and isn’t working about the way you are marketing yourself.
• Where to seek informational interviews if you are not comfortable contacting a complete stranger.
• Why networking groups—especially those organized specifically for job hunters—may not be the best places to meet people.

III.    BECOMING THE ENVY OF YOUR BOSS AND CO-WORKERS (who will wonder why headhunters call you first)

Do you hear about people who get great new jobs working with headhunters and wonder what it would take to do the same?

When audiences and clients realize I have spent several years in retained executive search, the floodgates open and people start asking every question they can think of about headhunters. For people who haven’t developed relationships with headhunters, this area seems shrouded in mystery. For people who have, they are often left confused about what happened, why the headhunter stopped calling, and what they can do to make themselves more attractive to headhunters. To some of you, this probably sounds a lot like dating.

 Having seen candidate after candidate miss opportunities to build the relationship, I decided to put together this EBook to explain more clearly how the search industry works and what you can do to increase your chances of getting presented by the best firms.

In this insider’s view of the world of executive search, you will learn:

Industry Insights

• My favorite, secret strategy for finding headhunters that may also attract the interest of a potential employer.
• A scenario to help you understand what internal recruiters experience on a daily basis and how you can use this to gain their attention and assistance in an unexpected way.
• The real differences between retained recruiters and contingency recruiters and how that impacts you.
• Why the way headhunters are paid can impact the nature of your relationship with that person or firm.
• Why you should avoid recruiting firms that claim to work for you.
• Why retained firms, in general, are more likely to invest in the relationship with you once you have captured their attention.
  
  (For even more specifics on capturing attention with your résumé, read the other EBooks, “Selling Yourself Without Bragging” and “Why Most Résumés Are HOPELESSLY Ineffective”. )

Initiating and Maintaining the Relationship

• 3 elements to include in your materials.
• 5 elements to include in your query letter. The 5th point is one that fewer than 1% of all candidates include yet could have a significant impact on whether (and how often) the firm represents you.
• Follow up strategies that will get you noticed for the right reasons.
• An actual example of a mistake that could get you blacklisted by the search firm and fired by an employer.
   

 Headhunter Strategy

• Why it can be dangerous to go around a headhunter.
• When it may be necessary to go around a headhunter.
• Why it is critical—and to your advantage—to share salary information.
• How to position your salary if you are going for a position significantly higher or lower than your current or recent position.

Other Helpful Tips

• One key bit of information you need that headhunters are better able to provide than almost anyone else.

If any of this sounds intriguing, I would like to offer you an opportunity to get all 3 EBooks, which sell for $24.95 each, for a combo price of $57.95. As a special bonus, I will include 2 FREE mini-reports

Order Now (only available online):

Copyright Rob Sullivan Productions, Inc. All rights reserved.