"Reviving the Economy: Jobs"-Search & Interview Techniques
Friday, February 13, 2009SUSIE GHARIB: 40 percent of Americans now say employment is the nation's biggest economic issue, up from 10 percent back in October. That's according to a report released today by the Pew Research Center. For many people, looking for work can be a daunting experience. As we continue our series "Reviving the Economy: Jobs," Erika Miller has some strategies for landing that coveted interview.
ERIKA MILLER, NIGHTLY BUSINESS REPORT CORRESPONDENT: Now that he is unemployed, Carl Sartori's full time job is looking for a job. So how many hours a day would you say you devote to your job search?
CARL SARTORI, JOB SEEKER: It's 40 hours. I mean it's eight hours a day with an hour for lunch. What I try to do is I try to get up and get to work quote to work just as I did when I had a job.
MILLER: The former sales and marketing manager currently monitors over 150 websites for job leads.
SARTORI: With the computer technology and e-mail, it's not like you got to lick envelopes and stamps all the time. You basically hit a button. It can send up to 300 at a time.
MILLER: But everyone else is doing that too.
SARTORI: Exactly.
MILLER: Anonymity is a frustration felt by many online job seekers. Monster.com's Eric Winegardner says the best way to get noticed is to have a snappy cover letter and a carefully crafted resume.
ERIC WINEGARDNER, VP OF CLIENT ADOPTION, MONSTER.COM: You absolutely want to tailor your resume to the job or the organization that you are looking at. Now that doesn't require completely rehauling it. What it really has to do with is making sure that the experience that you have that is real, don't stretch any truths here, the experience that you have is aligned to the top skills that the employer is looking for. Very important to use their language and also get that into the first few paragraphs of your resume.
MILLER: And before you add your resume to an online database like monster's, try to incorporate a variety of different job titles and relevant key words into the document. The goal is to maximize your odds of coming up in an employer search of potential candidates. One way to bring back the personal interaction of a job search is by going to a job fair, like this one in Newark, New Jersey. At least you'll be guaranteed a few seconds of face time with a company that is hiring. If you do decide to go to a career fair, be prepared for crowds and long lines. But experts say there are a few ways you can differentiate yourself from the competition. Just ask Bob Tillman, who organizes career fairs for a living. How much of it is credentials that will help you get the job? How much of it is personality and the way you sell yourself?
BOB TILLMAN, EVENT PLANNER, NATIONAL CAREER FAIRS: A lot of it is personality. And that's why I tell people when they come, be positive. These companies are looking for people who have self-assurance who are confident in themselves.
MILLER: That means no mumbling or grumbling. Dress professionally and research the companies ahead of time so you can ask intelligent questions. Of course you don't have to go to a career fair to network. Carl Sartori recommends telling everyone and anyone, that you are looking for a new position.
SARTORI: It has been quite effective. I've gotten quite a few interviews and opportunities from people like my neighbor who walks past the house to catch the bus up the street.
MILLER: Interviews he hopes will ultimately lead to a great job offer. Erika Miller, NIGHTLY BUSINESS REPORT, Newark, New Jersey.
