Most of this so called age discrimination is based on stereotypes, rather than reality.  If you are Generation Y, there is the perception that you are there to pursue personal satisfaction, that you are less concerned with permanence and not influenced by authority.  There is also a perception that you have unrealistic expectations, large egos and you are not reliable.

If you are over 50 the stereotypes include the perception that you are unable to adapt to change, don’t like being micro-managed and you are less tech savvy.

So how do you overcome these stereotypes and what techniques should you use, to successfully secure a job?

Re-write your resume

If you are a Generation Y, you probably won’t have a large arsenal of experience, but you still can develop a strong résumé, by focussing on the employers needs, being technology savvy on paper and really emphasising your achievements and accomplishments.

You should also remove bloated objective statements and emphasise personal characteristics, such as reliability and maturity.

If you are over 50, then you can remove age discrimination barriers, by:

• Not inserting your birth date
• Removing the dates from your education and qualifications if they are more than 15 years old
• Delete experience that is more than 15 – 20 years old, or if this experience is still relevant, include a heading summarizing this experience, without including the dates.
• Inserting your computer competencies

Network

If you are a Generation Y, Generation I (internet generation) you won’t have a large professional network, but you do have the advantage of being technically savvy, so you can take advantage of social networking sites, such as Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.  This will enable you to connect with your friends and colleagues, so you can exchange recommendations, share experiences and get support.

If you are over 50, lucky you, as you probably already have a network of people you know and respect you and chances are someone within the network can help you.  To take advantage of a network, simply ask colleagues and friends for advice and leads.

Jobsites

Search jobsites that are targeting your age group, as employers are specifically seeking someone within that age category.  Some examples include:

If you are a teenager, check out: http://www.teenjobs.com.au/

For entry level positions try:  http://www.juniorjobs.com.au/

For older job seekers, you can try the following Australian jobsites.

• http://www.olderworkers.com.au/
• http://www.adage.com.au

Present yourself effectively at interview

Live up to the stereotypes and you will be quickly eliminated at the interview stage.  During the interview:

Dress appropriately:

For Generation Y, this means getting rid of excessive body piercing, covering tattoos and avoiding extreme fashion statements.

For Baby Boomers, don’t dress like Grandma and Grandpa, even if you are!  Make sure your overall look and hairstyle is up-to-date, so that you appear to be a progressive, professional and in control.

Act appropriately:

For General Y, make sure you turn up in time, act in a mature fashion and avoid the “what can you do for me” attitude.

For Baby Boomers, your maturity will work to your advantage, but don’t take it for granted and be willing to come across as flexible and adaptable.  Also avoid being cynical about the process.

Finally, don’t ever assume that your age is working against you.  In many cases, it might simply be your perception, rather than the reality.  Before you blame age discrimination, have a close look at the other issues that might be letting you down, such as your career marketing documents, experience (or lack of experience), or how you are performing at interview.

Tip One – Know your value

For an employer you represent a financial expense, as well as an investment – and the returns on their investment must be higher than the cost, (ROI), otherwise it is not viable to employ you.  So it is up to you to know what your worth is and make sure that the potential employer is clear on what this is, so they pay you the best possible salary or wage for your contributions.

To ensure that you get paid what you are worth, you need to demonstrate your worth in your resume and at interview.  To do this, you must focus on achievements and the challenges and problems you faced and successfully overcame.  If possible, quantify these results with dollar figures, or percentages.  If you can’t quantify them, think about how your contributions enhanced the organisation.  (If you are struggling to come up with any tangible achievements – email me for a free list of questions, to help focus your mind on the task).

Tip Two – Never discuss salary, until you are offered the job

It is important NOT to discuss salary, until you are offered the job.  Why?  Because a figure too low and they might screen you out on the basis that they think you are not capable of handing the responsibilities and a figure to high, will also result in you being screened out.

If asked about salary, before a job offer is made, postpone the discussion with a response, such as ‘If I’m the right person for the job, I’m confident that we can come to an agreement’, or alternatively ‘Before we talk about salary, let’s make sure I’m the right person for the job’.

Tip Three – Don’t be the first one to mention a salary figure

EVER!  Try to keep the mention of salary offstage for much of the interview process and if it does get broached, let the employer be the first one to mention a figure.  WHY?  Well research indicates that whoever mentions a salary figure first, generally loses.

Tip Four – Do your research

Be prepared by researching and determining salary ranges applicable to the position.  The more information you have, the more material you will have to realistically evaluate job offers and negotiate your salary.

Go to the internet now and spend an hour or so researching, compiling and printing salary research relevant to your situation.  Armed with this material, if the offer made is about what you were hoping for or higher, you can confidently seal the deal.  If it below this, than armed with your research you can inform the employer that based on your research, positions such as this, usually pay between A – Z.

Tip Five – Review other benefits

Salary is only one component of the negotiation process, so make sure you negotiate benefits that might be important for you.  Before you get started think about what benefits you want, such as a flexible work schedule, ability to work from home, a professional membership, expenses for relocation, a company car, special training, or additional holidays.  Once you have this list, calculate the cost to the employer and compare this with current practices in the market place, so that you can take this into consideration when negotiating for these perks and benefits.

Tip Six – Use the right attitude

Unlike other negotiations, where the relationship might be short-lived and transactional, employment negotiations are relationships that could last a long time (even a lifetime).  So while it might be acceptable to thump your fist on the desk, be uncompromising, give an ultimatum and be arrogant to gain a concession buying a car, this is unacceptable during salary negotiations, even if you know the employer wants you badly – (Unless you don’t mind being called a ‘numb nut’, or worse).

Conversely, don’t be so laid back, or extremely excited about the process so that you lose control or your bargaining leverage.  Instead take the middle road, which is noncommittal enthusiasm.

However, there are still jobs to be found, employers are STILL recruiting and people are still landing jobs on a daily basis.

So what is the secret to landing a job fast?

Well, there is no secret.  Jobseekers securing jobs in a competitive environment, are simply managing to sell themselves effectively to employers.  So how do you sell yourself effectively in this current environment?

Well, the answer is that you communicate your potential worth, by focussing on your ability to deliver RESULTS to employers?  In order to communicate your potential worth, you need to use the same strategies that companies use to market themselves namely positioning, packaging, promotion, persuasion, and performance.

By using these same marketing strategies, you will easily distinguish yourself from hundreds of other jobseekers and land a job fast.

Positioning

Most job seekers focus on duties and responsibilities of the positions they have held and reflect these when packaging themselves (resume and interview).  However, the problem with such an approach is that most employers’ are not that interested in hearing about what you were supposed to do on the job, they are interested in how you can add value to their company, save money, or alleviate a specific problem.

In order to position and distinguish yourself from other job seekers, you need to focus on the needs of the company and what you accomplished for past employers.

Do you work faster?  Have you solved specific problems for past employers? Did you improve processes?  The point is that you need to tell potential employers about what you have accomplished for other employers, which in turn sets the stage as to why you can solve their specific needs or add value to their organisation.

Packaging

Since most job seekers have lacklustre resumes, cover letters and selection criteria, it is easy to distinguish yourself from the masses.  When packaging yourself, ask yourself the following questions:

1. Do I have a professionally designed resume that provides appropriate information that highlights the skills, values and benefits that I offer to an employer? HINT:  If you are using generic resume word templates from major job-boards, or you have long list of duties and responsibilities outlined under each job heading, you need to re-write your resume.
2. Does my resume specifically address the employer’s problems, issues and challenges?
3. Do I look the part of a consummate professional?

Promotion

Are you effectively promoting yourself in this tough marketplace?

If you want to land a job fast, you need to not only engage in regular job hunting activities, such as visiting online job boards, but you need to have a job networking strategy in place.

Companies make a point of staying as visible as possible.  As a jobseeker you also need to stay visible by building effective relationships and actively engaging in networking.  As a professional, you could also do some personal PR, by developing a web presence, through sites such as Twitter, or increase your profile, through trade journals and professional associations.

Persuasion

In order to effectively persuade an employer that you are the best person for the job, you need to understand their precise needs and present yourself in a way that promotes the benefits that you bring to an organisation.

It is no use just turning up at the interview, if you don’t have any understanding of the employer’s specific requirements.  So you need to research the company before you go to interview.

At the interview, your primary objective is to persuade the employer that you are the best person for the job.  The key skills you will need are the ability to build rapport and successfully communicating to the employer, how you can meet their objectives, solve their problems and enhance their organisations.  To communicate this, you need to present yourself in a benefit-orientated way.

Most employers are seeking employees who have the proven ability to solve a problem, to assist them to make money, or save money, or increase efficiency.  The point is, by communicating to employers, how you have delivered results in the past, you will easily set yourself apart from competition and will be able to persuade employers that you are the best person for the job.

Performance

For jobseekers, you need to perform throughout the job-search process.

1. Are you communicating successfully on paper (resume, selection criteria, cover letters), email phone and in person?
2. Do you keep all promises, such as interview appointments?
3. Do you go the extra mile and exceed employer expectations, such as sending a thank-you note after the interview, or taking a comprehensive portfolio to the interview?

Summary

To land a job fast, you need to distinguish yourself from the masses.  By using the same tactics that companies use to market them selves, (positioning, packaging, promotion, persuasion and performance), you will be able to successfully implement a job search plan, that will secure a new job fast!

No response, no feedback or if you get feedback, the generic rejection letter.  If you are lucky, you will be in the 4 – 10% that actually successfully conducts and finds a job online.  But if you are like the remaining 90 – 96% who exclusively conducts a job-hunt online with the major job boards, you might be destined to failure.

So why is it with job boards being so popular, they are so ineffective?

Advertising on job boards is the last resort for employers (not first)

The typical employer, general fills a vacancy in this order:

(a) Promoting within, (b) hiring someone that is known through a network, or someone that comes recommended by a friend, or colleague, (c) using a recruitment agency, (d) advertising both online, or in newspapers, and coming in at last place (e) an unsolicited resume.

Conversely, a typical job-hunter looks for work, the opposite way, in particular by using the job board.  What this means, is that by just using job boards, you are missing out on 85% of the jobs out there, that get filled through recruiting options that employers prefer.

Major job boards are ineffective because they are popular

Job boards have changed the recruitment landscape.  In the days prior to the internet and the job board, employers advertised in the local newspaper and received a dozen or so applicants.  Today, an employer advertises and is inundated by job applicants, because let’s face it – finding jobs to apply for is so easy for the jobseeker!

What this means to you, is that your competition has just expanded at an unprecedented rate.  More competition, the lower the chances of success – unless you take the steps necessary to outshine the competition!

The gatekeeper is in charge

For the bulk of jobs advertised online, your resume will end up in the lap of the gatekeeper, namely HR personnel.  The gatekeeper is exactly that, what stops your resume from being placed directly into the hands of real decision-makers.

Think of them as the bouncer in front of an exclusive nightclub.  They have complete discretion over who comes to the party or not and will stop letting people through, once the room is full.  They might let a few people through, if they like the look of them, but the majority don’t get to come to the party.

You have to keep in mind that HR’s job is to simply ‘weed out’ job candidates and the less applicants they have to deal with face-to-face the better.  So if possible, avoid HR altogether and get your resume directly in front of the real decision makers.

Automated processes rule

Due to their popularity, employers now receive hundreds of applications from jobseekers.  To cope with the overwhelming influx, many employers have turned to technology to process applications.

What this means to you, is that your resume won’t even get read, unless it passes the keyword search and is scannable.  So you might be the perfect candidate, but that machine won’t know you are the perfect candidate, unless your resume contains all the optimal key words.

Then when you pass muster on the keyword search, your resume will be quickly ‘eyeballed’ by a recruiter or HR.  If you don’t make the cut during the 30-second review time, kiss goodbye to the job.

The solution to winning over the automated processes is to ensure that keywords are contained in your resume AND have a resume that can elicit a positive reaction within 30 seconds.  Unfortunately over 95% of jobseekers don’t have this type of resume.

Conclusion

For all their popularity, job boards have massive limitations for the job seeker.  Job boards are inherently tools built for employers and recruiters, rather than serving the needs of job seekers.  This is driven by the fact that job board revenue is generated by employers and recruiters advertising, not specifically by job seekers.

The reality is that the majority of job seekers don’t get their jobs from the major job boards (although the marketing from branded job boards would make you believe otherwise).

You see employees are recruiting, because they have a problem to solve, a statutory or policy obligation to fulfil (particularly if government), or they want to make a larger profit. Period. To make a larger profit or to fulfil this statutory obligation, organisations/businesses need help and support (that’s you), from administration officers (task orientated), managers (managing people, resources and projects), through to the CEO, Director or Business Owner (the visionary leader).

Ignoring this fact is a VERY costly mistake for all jobseekers. You see jobseekers, are normally so wrapped up in their own little worlds, that they view the whole recruitment and job search process as about their security, their ambitions, their need to pay the bills, credit card and make money, as well as fulfil their interests, desires and needs.

Open up any number of resumes and sit on job interviews and so often the jobseeker focuses on themselves:

The objective statement – I want a fulfilling career
Interests – I love travelling
The interview – Question: So where do you see yourself in 5 years? Answer: In a really fulfilling job, with lots of challenges.

Don’t get me wrong I support all of these aspirations and desires! I think you have every right to a job that is fulfilling, to take an overseas holiday every year, to get really well paid for what you do, to secure a promotion and pay rise and successfully balance home and work life. In fact this is what I help my clients do everyday, by providing them with winning resumes and selection criteria responses, job interview coaching and job search and career transition support, so they do secure their ideal job and a pay rise. All of these things YOU do deserve and should strive for!

But employers really don’t give one iota about your insecurities; need to pay the bills, the need for job security, your desire for more money and a fulfilling career. They are as selfish, as we all are and are only interested in WIIFM (what’s in it for me?) – namely if you can solve their problem or contribute to the profitability of their organisation.

If you understand this, you can quickly turn your attention to developing a job search strategy and marketing documents that focuses on employer needs.

The Cover Letter Opening: ‘I’m very excited about the opportunity to work with a leading organisation such as BHP Billiton, which will enable me to utilise my skills and experience in managing transformational changes and improving net profits within a large complex organisation’. (The butter up and summary of exactly what the jobseeker offers in the way of solving the employer’s problem).

The Resume and The Job Interview: Provide them with a mirror image of the requirements and skills required by the potential employer and how you have made a difference for others AND how you can make a difference for their organisation/business.

This shift in focus alone will turn you into a ‘must have’ candidate – with employers clamouring to engage your services, as you are focussing on their needs, are the solution to their problems and have the capacity to make them more profit.

That is why if employers don’t really care about you on an individual level during recruitment, (your aspirations, dreams or even just the need for financial security), it does not matter. You are fulfilling your dreams and aspirations and obtaining security, by focussing on what employers need, and ultimately securing that dream job and/or pay rise in the process.

Before we begin, there are no hard and fast rules when providing an outline of a resume, apart from the number one rule, which is that you should include JUST the information that is relevant to the position and the information should meet the employer’s need in order to capture their interest.

Essential

Contact Details

The following contact details, if available, should be included in your resume

• Name (Just your First Name and Surname will suffice)
• Telephone Number (Home not Work)
• Mobile Number
• Email (private email and no cutesy ones, they need to sound professional)
• Facsimile (private one ONLY)

Profile

Instead of inserting a career objective, use this space to incorporate a dazzling profile, or qualifications summary.  Within the profile, highlight how you meet the needs of the employer.  Information that you should consider including are:

• Your core competencies relating to the position
• Number of years experience in the sector
• Soft skills relevant to the role
• Highlights of your achievements and accomplishments
• Management style
• Any affiliations and professional organisations
• Relevant language skills

Skills

By providing an overview of your skills, you give employers an instant understanding of what you can bring to the organisation.

Various Headings for Skills

• Core Competencies
• Expertise
• Key Credentials
• Key Qualifications
• Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
• Knowledge and Skills
• Strengths
• Summary of Qualifications
• Value Offered

Employment History

You should provide the following information relating to your employment history.

• Job Title
• Name of Organisation
• Start Date and Finish Date (month and year), unless using a functional résumé, or you want to disguise very old work history.
• Core duties and responsibilities
• Your achievements and contributions  (Achievements and contributions need to be the primary focus).

Education and Qualifications

Include education and qualifications that are relevant to the position in question.

Consider

Including an Objective

I’m not a huge fan of objectives as they tend to be self-focussed and are at best a waste of space and at worst vague, trite, and boring.

Although the objective statement has enjoyed pre-eminent position in résumés for years, the modern Australian résumé, usually eliminates this statement, as the modern résumé focuses on the employer’s needs. 

You might consider using an objective if you’re a recent graduate with limited paid experience, applying for entry-level positions, or transitioning from one career to another.

If you decide to use an objective statement, make sure it is very brief (one sentence) and combine it with your profile, so the ‘YOU’ focus is quickly turned into addressing potential employer’s needs.

Including Personal Information

Leave the following details out of your resume:

• Date of birth
• Martial status and number of children
• Photographs, no matter how photogenic you are
• Personal data, such as health status, height and weight
• Interests and Hobbies
• Photocopied written references attached at the end of your résumé.  Save these for the interview, unless specifically requested in the application form.

However, ignore this rule, if these personal attributes will enhance your application.  For example:

• Use your interests to enhance your application, if your interests and hobbies reinforce your passion or capacity to do the job.  For example, including hobbies relating to looking after wildlife, if going for a conservation traineeship, or listing your sporting achievements and fitness activities, if applying for a job in which high levels of fitness are a requirement.

Including Associations

If you have current membership to associations that will enhance your creditability and standing as a professional or expert in your field, then include these membership details.  However only include current memberships, rather than old memberships that have expired.

Including Voluntary Positions

Voluntary Experience

 If you have limited experience, or you want to further emphasise relevant skills to the position, then you might consider including your voluntary experience.

Including Publications/Articles / Presentations

If applying for an academic, medical, or scientific position, you will need to create a curriculum vitae, which will include a comprehensive list of publications, articles and presentations.

If you are not applying for an academic, medical or scientific position, but you are a published author, or have made presentations at key conferences, then list the publications/conferences that will be relevant to the employer.  If you have a comprehensive list, consider providing these in an annexure to your résumé.

Including Awards

If you have an award, then this is great content to put into your résumé.

Should you include referees?  

It is NOT necessary to include referees in the modern Australian resume, unless specifically requested by the employer.  (For example, most government jobs require submission of two referees upfront).

If referees are not requested in the initial stages, just add ‘Referees available upon request’, within your résumé.

Typos

Proofreading your résumé is critical to your success.  Your application is a representation of your best work to a potential employer and one of the biggest gripes of employers and recruiters are of documents littered with errors, including typos.  To ensure that your document is error-free, use Australian English on your computer’s spell checker, have at least 24 hours away from the document before proofreading it and get a 3^rd party to proof read your document for you.

Poor formatting

Yes content is KING – but equally important is the formatting of your document.  Your document should be visually appealing, in the same way company’s package their goods in a way to enhance their appeal for buyers.  I mean what would you as a consumer choose for a gift – chocolate wrapped in white butcher paper – or for the same price, chocolate wrapped in rich-looking gold foil with ribbons, in a heart shaped box?

When formatting your résumé, be consistent in design treatments, be conservative, and avoid starting too many consecutive lines with bullets, add white space, break up lengthy paragraphs, balance the résumé top-to-bottom and left-to-right and use no more than 2 font styles. 

Using templates from the major job search sites

Literally thousands of job seekers use these templates and if you are in the business of recruiting people, you know straight away the origin of the template and trust me – these online templates don’t make a good first impression!

Not highlighting skills and knowledge

Most resumes get scant attention, so if your resume simply lists your job duties, but fails to draw attention to the skills, knowledge and contributions you have made to prior employers, then it is highly likely your resume will get overlooked.

Creating a one-size-fits-all approach

An effective resume is one that is crafted specifically for the employer and job in question.  So don’t send out a one-size-fits-all document, it could result in your application being overlooked.

Developing a wordy, rambling, long, repetitive document

Keep it tight and concise and include only information that is relevant to the position in question.  I mean, that award that you got in 1985 for playing soccer is probably now irrelevant and completely redundant information.

Not including a cover letter with your resume

Some employers and recruiters won’t even look at a resume, unless the job candidate has gone to the bother of writing a cover letter.  So make sure you include a cover letter with your resume.

Cheap or Coloured Paper

You can design the most amazing resume ever and then spoil it by sending our your resume on pink coloured paper.  If sending a hard copy, a straight good quality white paper is all you need, with the document simply stapled at the corner.  It is unnecessary to bind your document, in particular if sending your resume through to HR.  Bound documents are difficult, if not impossible to scan, so sometimes get discarded.

Incorrect information

Proofreading is not just for the body of the resume, but also for you heading, dates and details about the organisation you worked for.  Make sure you read everything.

Cutesy or inappropriate email addresses

Don’t include your work email address, unless applying for an internal position.  Instead use your home email address and ensure this is a nice conservative one, i.e. leave the “starstud1@iprimus.com.au”, or “bigkaren@hotmail.com” for family and friends!

Remember resume mistakes will detract from your credentials, reflect badly on you personally and will literally take you of the running for jobs you are more than qualified for.

On the other hand, ineffective advertising is like flushing money down the toilet and is a complete waste of money.

So what is the difference between advertising that works and advertising or sales pitches that don’t? The difference in the trade is known as the AIDA formula, which stands for:

• Get Attention
• Capture Interest
• Create Desire
• Call to Action

I’m sure by now you are asking what the heck has this got to do with creating a resume and finding a new job or promotion. Well everything!

You see, like the AIDA formula, as a job hunter, to secure that new job, or promotion, your resume needs to get attention, capture interest and create desire.

Get Attention and Capture Interest

To get attention, you need a strong resume with a core brand message that distinguishes you from the sometimes hundreds of other applicants. Within a resume, create the ‘essential message’ of what you are, where your value is, what skills and knowledge you offer and what differentiates you from others.

You need to grab the employer’s attention within the first 30 seconds. That means your profile and skills list needs to quickly communicate what you offer and all of this information needs to be on the first page of your resume.

One of the key strategies that you can use to gain attention and capture immediate interest is to use the prime real estate of your resume and ensure that your ‘essential message’ is located there. The prime real estate of your résumé is on the first page in the middle, about 1/3 down. This is the visual centre of the document that will get noticed first.

This prime real estate is where you want to pack your greatest punch in order to get the employer’s attention. This is where you outline your key skills, key accomplishments, or a summary of what you can offer the employer (namely your profile).

That is not to say that information further down the page, won’t get read carefully, what I’m saying is that when your reader initially scans the document, this is where you can ensure that your document generates sufficient interest, for it to be read thoroughly. Otherwise you risk have your resume put aside in the ‘not to interview pile’; in the same way, you chuck out your ‘junk advertising mail’.

Create Desire

The key to creating desire in a potential employer is two fold:

• You need to mirror the exact requirements of the employer within your resume.
• You need to start focussing on what you have achieved and contributed, not your duties and responsibilities.

Advertising gurus understand that to create desire, they need to tap into the exact needs of an audience and reflect this in the advertising material. That is why the most effective advertising understands their audience needs, desires and requirements. So if a potential employer requires a person with the ability to build relationships, then you need to make sure your resume reflects this requirement.

Likewise, desire is created in advertising if the product or service, is seen as a solution to someone’s perceived problem. That latest miracle moisturiser will reduce wrinkles and reverse the 7 signs of ageing. You don’t have to worry about flood insurance as you are covered no matter what.

As a job seeker your resume must become the solution to the employers problem. These problems can be (depending on the employer), the need to make money, save money, save time, make work easier, solve specific problems, ensure that they are more competitive, fulfil their statutory obligations, expand the business, or gain and retain more customers.

To be that solution, the core of your resume needs to be about your achievements, namely evidence that you solved these problems for another employer. For example: you reduced operational costs by 34%, you implemented an occupational health and safety strategy, that reduced workplace injuries by 40%, or you created a new filing system that eliminated wasted time in searching for misfiled documents.

As soon as you start developing a core message that talks about your achievements, rather than just talking about processes (duties and responsibilities), then you set the stage for creating desire, in that you have shown the employer how you can satisfy their needs and be the solution to their problem.

Madison avenue advertising tactics work – so why not start using these strategies in your own resume.

The New Year is fast approaching, and it’s a wonderful time to make a fresh start, so use the holidays to think about strategies to revive a stalled job search for 2012.

Every year, I receive calls and emails from potential clients that are really down in the dumps about their job hunting, having no success whatsoever when sending out applications for government or private sector jobs.

After reviewing their applications and talking with them about their job search, it becomes evident that the majority are missing out on jobs, due to poor responses to selection criteria, not applying for relevant positions and poor job search techniques.

So if you are unhappy with the job search activities in 2011, here are some tips for 2012, which will help revive your job search for 2012.

Take a good hard look at your resume and selection criteria

Like it or not, these documents are your key to obtaining an interview and your only chance to make a good first impression. Competition is really tough for government jobs, so before you put pen to paper, make sure you are suitably qualified so you are only targeting those jobs in which there is a good chance that a well written application will get you through to interview. I strongly suggest that you touch base with the contact officer and obtain more information about the position, including ascertaining whether someone is acting in the position, so you can gauge your competition. Once you have obtained the relevant information, set aside t minimum a whole day so you can write strong evidence based responses to selection criteria.

In terms of your resume, effective resumes are highly focused marketing pieces that must be strategically written and designed to sell YOU as the best solution to potential employer’s needs and problems.

Both your resume and selection criteria, must illustrate your unique value proposition that will differentiate you from your competitors in the job market. Do your documents accomplish these goals? Are they outcomes focussed? Do they accurately represent you in the way you wish to be presented?

If not, it is time to rewrite these documents, as poor marketing documents might be the key reason why you are not securing interviews.

Use Guerrilla Marketing Methods for Job Hunting

If sending your resume to job agencies, applying for jobs on online job boards, or addressing long and complex selection criteria is not reaping any rewards for you, why not kick start 2012 with some guerrilla job hunting marketing methods. This term was coined by Jay Levinson and David Perry, both recruiting experts, who highlight the most effective job search methods. Top on their list is networking – yet very few people actually use this highly effective method.

By networking, you are not asking people if they know of an opening or to give you a job, you are just asking for referrals or advice from people that might be able to assist you. I mean, would you be upset if someone you knew contacted you to inform you of their job search and asking for some advice, or to point them in the right direction? Of course not, in fact you would probably be very flattered, so why not use this method as a way to discover new opportunities and network your way into a position?

Use the holiday to research job prospects

Jobs don’t tend to get advertised over the holidays, but this is the perfect time to undertake research on various opportunities that will be available in 2012. Use the time constructively and research companies over the internet. This is a great time to get information relating to whether a company is experiencing growth, or compile a list of the right contact person within your targeted companies.

PLUS as a bonus, some companies/agencies are hiring over the holiday period and since there is less competition (less job seekers on the market place), then it might turn out to be the perfect time to get your resume or selection criteria in front of a decision-maker, who needs to hire a person as a matter of urgency.

Job search Protocols

Now it is time to take a look in the methods that you use in your job search. Is it professional at every step? Does it illustrate an understanding of job search protocols? In 2012, make it your objective to be professional throughout the process. Make sure you send a cover letter and when attaching resume to a new contact via email, include an introductory note. Also ensure that your mobile message and answering machine is professional, and avoid an email name that is funny or cutesy. These job search protocols really matter – so make sure you adhere to them.

Yes – job hunting can be highly stressful and time consuming. But the holiday period is a perfect time to reflect upon what you would like for 2012, so choose to focus and in 2012, you will find yourself back to work, or securing that dream job, or promotion, much faster than you thought possible.

According to a report by the International Association of Career Management Professionals:

• Individuals that do not use the email will be left out
• Individuals must be able to post a resume on the internet
• Internet networking is replacing much of the traditional face-to-face interactions

This is only the beginning, with trends rapidly changing the entire job search and recruitment landscape.  As a job seeker, it is vital to ensure that at all stages during your career that you keep abreast with these changes, so that you can maximise your chances of success.

Is your current resume a dinosaur?

If you still have a personal details section, then you are still in the 20^th Century and it is time to get rid of that revealing personal information relating to age, hobbies, interests, martial status and number of children.  This information is completely irrelevant.  If your resume extends beyond 5 – 6 pages, then it is time to seriously start culling your document, as the “let it all hang out” resume version, is now a dinosaur.

But this is just the start of the new “Australian resume”, as the online phenomenon takes shape.  The future is already here, with web-based (HTLM) versions of the resume, Portable Document Format (PDF), ASCII Rich Text Format (RTF), through to Video Resumes, which will start to appear, thanks to the tools available for job seekers to create personal videos through the use of a camera and YouTube technology.   (Although Video Resumes will in my opinion will not replace the resume, due to time involved in recruiters and employers viewing the information and legal implications (such as potential allegations of discrimination on the basis of colour, age, as the employer)).

The internet is the hiring highway

The percentage of employers using the internet to recruit is increasing phenomenally and at an unprecedented rate, to the point that employers advertising in newspapers have the same advertisement online.   This trend has several consequences for job seekers like you, and the few of the major ones you need to be aware of are:

• The need to incorporate key words into your resume, when posting your resume on online job boards, so you can be identified as a suitable candidate, by search databases. (Refer to my tips on key words in my Report on Resume Writing).
• With an increasing volume of resumes online, the patched together resume, using resume templates from major job boards such as Seek or CareerOne is redundant.  It is vital to ensure that you create a resume that stands out from the pack!
• The challenge of the “fill-in-the-blank”, online application forms, that exposes all your weak points, such as job gaps and job hopping.
• Ensuring that the employer actually receives your emailed document, with an increasing number of documents being blocked by SPAM traps and never being reviewed by the employer.  Some surveys are indicating that up to 25% of resumes were being caught by SPAM filters.
• You need to be aware that employers and recruiters are increasingly performing background checks on candidates and this includes “googling” candidates.  This is also current practice for positions in the public service sector, that require secret vetting clearance, and this includes a comprehensive background search, including online searches.  So if you are engaged in any online forums, including Facebook, then you need to be aware that inappropriate comments, or revealing lots of personal information, could be detrimental to your career prospects -  (Big brother has already arrived).
• If posting your resume online, ensure you don’t include information that could be detrimental to your privacy and the privacy of your referees.  Your referee won’t be too impressed if their home phone or private address is online for everyone to see!
• The bulk of recruiters source candidates from places such as LinkedIn, so if you don’t have a LinkedIn account now is the time to seriously consider setting one up.

These are just of the few of the major trends – and job seekers that keep up with these changes will have a competitive edge and will be able to exploit the new technology, as well as distinguish themselves from the competition.