There is a saying, “It’s not personal, just business,” which implies that you can somehow remain removed from the emotion of a business outcome.

However, when thinking about your job search, it is better not to be removed but to be invested very, very emotionally.

Read the rest of my advice on my recent post for CNBC.com Executive Careers at:

http://www.cnbc.com/id/31830362/site/14081545

Caroline Ceniza-Levine, who has recruited for corporations such as Accenture, Citibank and Disney ABC, notes that “too many candidates are still dropping off hundreds of résumés and thinking this is a comprehensive search.” It isn’t even close. The job market is saturated with highly accomplished and highly qualified candidates, and the people who are succeeding in this environment are the ones who know how to network strategically.  Read more tips on resumes in Karen Siwak’s comprehensive blog post at:

http://resumeconfidential.ca/blog/?p=44

You’re one of the lucky ones if you’ve held onto your job in this recession and gotten an offer of another job too. But before you jump at that offer, do some serious research into both the job and the company. Weigh the opportunities and job security you have with your current employer against what likely awaits you at the new company.

See the rest of Tara Weiss’ article for Forbes.com, including my advice on how to elegantly use your other offer to negotiate salary in:

http://www.forbes.com/2009/07/08/job-changing-recession-leadership-careers-basics.html

When you are in the midst of a job search I recommend that you troubleshoot your search on a consistent basis.  After each interview, journal about what went well and what you could have done better.  Thing about creative ways to strengthen each move in the process so that you become an exceptional job search candidate.  It’s in the constant fine-tunning that you will find your job. 

For more reading on exactly how to troubleshoot your job search and constantly fine tune, click on this link to read about a recent interview I conducted on just this topic.

http://www.financialpost.com/m/story.html?id=1554397

At a recent workshop, an attendee asked about what to do about her low GPA and her resume.  For recent graduates and current students, the GPA is standard on a typical resume so it’s a question worth answering.  But even for more experienced hires, where GPA matters less if at all, this question is still relevant because it speaks to what to do if you have any potential red flag on your resume that you feel obligated to disclosed (e.g., a gap in employment).  How do you address possible red flags on the resume?

Read my advice on my latest Ask A Recruiter post for TheGlassHammer.com:

http://www.theglasshammer.com/news/2009/07/08/ask-a-recruiter-how-do-you-address-possible-red-flags-on-the-resume/

The job search strategy is simple:  identify your target companies, find the decision-makers therein for the jobs you want, contact the decision-makers and sell them on you as the perfect candidate, and Presto!  You get a job.

The above is simple to understand, but it’s not easy to execute.  Many jobseekers don’t know what they want so they don’t know what companies to target.  Many jobseekers don’t know how to position themselves properly.  Sometimes, you do everything right but there is no job at this time, and you have to repeat the process for many more companies till you hit the timing just right. 

But the most frequently asked question that I get at workshops and events is how to find these decision-makers in the first place.  Here are 3 steps to follow:

Read my advice in the latest SixFigureStart blog for Vault.com.

For younger workers, there is often a lack of references.  Maybe you only had one job or internship.  Maybe you haven’t had a related job – you have extensive babysitting experience but this is an office job.  Sometimes this lack of references is compounded by the fact that you can’t use one of your jobs because you didn’t get along with your boss or the job ended badly.

Every jobseeker needs references, so start thinking of them now.  Try to have a minimum of 3 and shoot for 5-6 in case the 3 are unavailable when the prospective employer tries to reach them.  Here is what to do for all the sticky situations listed above:

Read my advice in my June 23 post at  Vault.com.

The subtitle of Jason Jennings’ Less is More is:  How Great Companies Use Productivity as a COMPETITIVE TOOL in business.  That sounds like this book will be about efficiency techniques and competitor case studies.  I almost didn’t read the book because I wasn’t in the mood for a straightforward business text.  But the book is actually much more comprehensive than the title and certainly the subtitle suggest.  It’s also a breezier read than expected:  any book that espouses the value of public hangings in a chapter about weeding out bad management is not going to be a staid business tome.

There is a big focus on the culture of these productive companies and how committed they are at all levels to sound business practices.  It was refreshing to see examples of big, established companies that calculated the value proposition of their ideas using simple but powerful financial metrics, implemented systems that worked, weeded out bureaucracy, and built a culture of respect and integrity at all levels.  We have all seen too many big companies allow bad practices to seep in at all levels.  WTGBRFDT, an acronym used by one of Jennings ‘ case studies, is not the norm even though it should be.  (WTGBRFDT = What’s the good business reason for doing this? and it’s a central theme of the book.)

Less is More has convinced me to look at my own business practices with a more watchful eye.  It will also help as I consult to my bigger clients.  Recently I pitched to a client that used a team of 10 to recruit 200 hires.  In my past corporate life, I had managed a team of 3 that recruited 500 hires.  This company was concerned whether I could help them because I previously had overseen just a team of 3.  Perhaps I can send them this book with the chapter on Financial Metrics highlighted.  Rather than worrying about numbers managed, they could focus on numbers hired, recruiting more with less staff.  Focusing on the right metric is a critical tool for any business and especially true in this economy.

Most of our coaching advice goes to job seekers but we also coach individuals on how to be successful from day one on their new jobs.  The smart candidates want this guidance because first impressions mean so much. 

Kevin was an exceptional college student (Engineering Master’s Degree with a 3.8 GPA)  and took his job search very seriously.  The night of his first interview, he made sure to send a thank you note to his interviewer, mentioning why he really wanted the job and why he thought he would be a great hire. 

He kept in touch with the manager, and ultimately, he was given the job.  He tried to negotiate for a higher salary, and before doing that, he did his research.  He found out that although the $53,000 per year was solid, most Master’s Degree candidates in Chemical Engineering were making $60,000.  He spoke to his placement director, to other candidates that were hired, and he did some research on line.  Although he didn’t win his negotiation (you don’t always get what you ask for), his manager said he would do everything he could to raise his salary as soon as he could. 

So all was set for Kevin’s first day.   Again, Kevin did everything right.  He dressed up a bit just in case he looked too casual.  He got there early.  He kept himself busy even though he didn’t have a formal assignment.  Here is his own description of that first day on the job….

My first day at work started when I decided what to wear.  Although I was told that the dress code is lax I chose to wear a dress shirt and tie for two reasons: 1st, I wanted to show that I care about making a good impression; 2nd, dressing up generally makes me feel more confident and capable.

I showed up to work about 20 minutes early. At orientation there were about 20 new hires in an auditorium. I made it a point to make some friends during this time just in case I needed help with something! In the auditorium there were two managers who would call new hires to the front to review their security clearance forms before final submittal.

When this was finished we collectively made our oaths to the constitution (fyi, Kevin works for the Federal Government). Finally, our human resource specialists escorted us to our offices.

The first thing that my department did was to take me out to the Olive Garden to get acquainted without the pressures of the office. Next, we returned to the base where my supervisor discussed the goals and visions of our team. I made sure to ask questions regarding my place in the group.

I finished up my day by starting some of the many trainings that are required of me; I don’t exactly have an assignment so I decided I would remain busy with training at least. Also, it would be good to get this done early so as not to have to crunch it in when I do get busy.

Last week in my Ask A Recruiter column for www.theglasshammer.com I wrote about the two main factors that every resume needs – authenticity and specificity.  Specificity (i.e., tailoring a resume to the employer/ industry/ function you are targeting), is particularly important because it enables your resume to be found when recruiters search and noticed when recruiters screen.

 Recruiters search for resumes on job boards, social networks such as LinkedIn, articles and white papers (especially at senior levels), and their own database.  When a search kicks off recruiters filter through the resumes from these sources by keywords and criteria.  If you don’t have those keywords or criteria in your resume, you may not get picked.

Read the rest of my tips for getting your resume searched and noticed at:

http://www.theglasshammer.com/news/2009/06/24/ask-a-recruiter-how-do-recruiters-search-and-screen-resumes/