Personal Comments From a Corporate Career Survivor

by Joy
(Philadelphia)

We are told to study and work in something we enjoy. But, these tend to be over-crowded fields. It is better to get a hobby for something to enjoy. Work is first of all for survival. Preferably, we should want a good paycheck in a job or field that can last our work-life — about 45 years.

After getting a B.A. in Journalism, I was a writer and editor for 12 years. As a female, I experienced lots of job discrimination. And, job opportunities diminished as publications went out of business.

I decided to get a B.S. in Accounting. As a straight-A student, I expected lots of opportunities in prestigious CPA firms. Not! They wanted moldable people in their early 20s. I was too old while just in my early 30s.

Getting an MBA in Computer Science was my next move. I earned more as a programmer trainee then I did as full Editor of three magazines and an auto racing newsletter. I worked in all phases of the Project Development Life Cycle until I retired. By then, too many technical American jobs were being off-shored or replaced by H1-B Foreign Visa workers. These low-paid workers also served to lower the salaries for Americans.

My advice: Avoid working for corporations–these are dictatorial organizations that do not respect employees. Before enrolling in classes, research the possible long-term opportunities for the field. When employed, watch the writing on the wall and quickly make your move. Constantly monitor the job market. Take additional courses before a job loss in order to gain experience. Use class projects as skill examples during interviews. Volunteer to help someone in a different job at your firm to get diversified work experience. Have several versions of your resume to only target specific job opportunities. Keep in touch with previous co-workers — these are networking sources. Often job interviews are only given to someone recommended by the firm’s employees.

What Is The Hidden Job Market?

The hidden job market (or invisible job market) is simply all the jobs that people successfully secure that are never advertised through conventional methods like recruitment agencies, job listing sites, etc.
In fact, almost nobody knows about them.

There are many ways to work the hidden job market. I recently was speaking with a young man who works for JP Morgan. He told me how he managed to secure a job as a technical analyst trader without ever going to university. He loved the area of market trading and became very learned through periods of self-teaching (it’s easy to teach yourself complex subjects these days with a plethora of quality and very economical online learning platforms like LinkedIn Learning, Coursea, Udemy, Youtube, etc.). Then through working some networks( ie. hidden job market), he managed to secure a meeting with a decision maker at JP Morgan who was very impressed with this man’s knowledge and skill level and subsequently offered him a job. His boss later told him that his knowledge and understanding of trading and other skills required for the role were substantially better than most of the graduates he interviews-there’s something to think about.

Moral of the story: employers are not so interested in the letters after your name, but in how skilled, motivated, and competent are you to do the job. Many others have gained jobs of their choice in a similar way.

Working the Hidden Job Market will help you get a job faster, and usually, a job that you will enjoy more than if you simply follow the traditional job search methods of online applications, etc.

Implement a Proactive Job Search

Most people looking for a job use what I call the reactive method, rather than the proactive job search method.
What does this mean? Simply put, they complete their job search by responding to job vacancies that are known or advertised in some way. Yet we know that approximately 80% of all jobs will be never advertised.

The key to working the hidden job market is to have a solid understanding of what you are very good at (and like doing), just like our JP Morgan example above.

Employers Love Enthusiasm

When it comes to a job interview one of the most powerful drawcards an applicant needs is confidence and enthusiasm about what they are good at.

And that’s ultimately what will win you a job, selling an employer the idea that what you love to do and are good at, is exactly the skills they need. And if it’s not the skills they need, then you are speaking to the wrong person. Speak only to organizations that have a need for the skills that you love to use and are good at. That way you are benefiting the employer greatly and they are more likely to see you as an asset to the organization.

How to Find Out What You Are Good At

This is where the dream career finder is valuable. This assessment provides evidence of where your true inborn job skills lie.
And the evidence is what employers love to see. Evidence you can take with you to the job interview (literally take the results of the DCF).
For some people, the results of this assessment can be life-transforming in regard to their future work direction and satisfaction.

Hidden Job Market Tips

If you are looking for a job and want to:

• find a job that suits you well – one where you can feel a great deal of fulfillment and satisfaction.
• find a job faster than normal.
• find a job that you will stay longer in because you enjoy it more.
• find a job that will usually pay more than jobs found using traditional job search methods. (This is due to obtaining a good fit between the skills and abilities you offer, and the skills and abilities required by the employer.)

This is what I recommend:

• Recognize the importance of using basic marketing concepts to give yourself an edge with employers. See my personal marketing for job search.
• Complete the inborn job skills assessment on this site.
• Either use the results of that assessment to target your “best fit” jobs on your own.
• Or make time to connect via Skype or phone (or in person if you live locally) to discuss the results and together we will devise a strategy for securing a job utilizing hidden job market strategies.

See the Contact page for full details.

1. Free Resume Example & Template (as used by my clients over the years to successfully win interviews)
2. Top Resume Secrets (you almost certainly won’t have these ideas in your current resume …include them and watch your interview rate skyrocket). These specific inclusions are why my clients have secured scores of interviews.
3. Free Cover Letter This includes a free download of a cover letter (see item no.4) that I have used very successfully for my clients for many years.
4. Accessing the Invisible Job Market. Between 60 and 80% of all jobs are never advertised. The most popular method of finding jobs (applying online), is in fact the least successful way of getting a job. Here are some ways to access the invisible job market and help you get a job faster, without ever going online.
5. Sample Letter to Employer (template download) that got this job applicant 6 interviews. This is an example of a job applicant achieving great success without ever applying for a job online. It simply involves a well-crafted letter I wrote for him to send to employers, using an unconventional delivery method, and employer follow-up. None of the companies he sent this letter to were advertising at the time, but six interviews resulted!
6. Free Dream Career Finder A comprehensive exercise that will help you work out what job you are best suited to (Note: this will take some time to complete but is worthwhile and quite insightful as to what to are naturally motivated to do). Includes pdf book and assessment including downloadable skills assessments sheets.

I have been writing resumes, cover letters and helping people with career advice for over 20 years. This resume example and template are a result of working with my clients over the years to produce a resume and cover letter that are good at getting job interviews.

You will need to download both files:

One is the Resume Example Template in Microsoft Word (remember to save a copy of this so you have the original in case you make a mistake).

The other is my Resume Example with Comments. It is the same resume as above but this one includes comments and tips pointing to various parts of the resume to help make the necessary modifications easier.

Resume Writing = Marketing Yourself

Writing your resume is just an exercise in good marketing – marketing yourself.

One of the first rules of marketing is to stand out from the crowd.

And when it comes to job search applications and the hundreds of resumes that are often submitted for each job, standing out from the crowd is critical but not always easy to do.

When writing a resume, the following question should always be at the forefront of your mind:

“How can I make my resume more interesting to the reader when I know they are going to be swamped with large volumes of resumes to read?”

Of course, with the extensive use of applicant tracking system software, (ATS analyzes your resume and ranks your application based on keyword algorithms and other criteria), these days, a high number of resumes will not even be seen by a human eye.

But right now, we are focusing on when your resume gets read by a human.

Follow the notes on the PDF download above and also read my Top Resume Secrets booklet to get more interviews faster.

In this article:

1. Why you should send a cover letter (even if it’s not asked for)

2. The one time you should not send a cover letter

3. The four key elements of a cover letter:

• A compelling opening paragraph
• Explanation of your top 3 reasons why you believe you would be good for the job (i.e. your selling points)
• Raise any known issues that they think may disqualify you from the job (this is controversial but important)
• A confident and expectant closing paragraph

4. Free Cover Letter Download (successfully used by my clients)

1. Why You Should send a cover letter (even if it’s not asked for)

It’s tempting not to bother with a cover letter due to the extra time and effort involved – but in most circumstances that would be a mistake and will reduce your success rate.

As a job search coach, resume writer, and career counselor of 15 years, I have written many cover letters for clients, and I always recommend sending one with every resume. Here’s why:

(a) A cover letter provides a second opportunity to promote yourself

It allows you to show your distinctive personality better than a resume can.

Although some of your uniqueness will shine through in your resume, a cover letter allows a more relaxed format to express your personality and draw the reader into who you are as a person.

It also provides the opportunity to communicate in an energetic and enthusiastic manner about your love for that type of work – something that cannot often be achieved in a resume (enthusiasm is a common trait employers seek in almost all job types and is one of the key attributes of successful job applicants).

(b) You have the opportunity to address possible objections

A cover letter allows you to address any notable problems in your resume (e.g.) periods of unemployment, multiple short periods with each employer, geographical relocation issues like the fact that you currently live in a different state to the employer, you are returning to the workforce after being at home with your children, etc.

You are almost always better to address any glaring issues candidly in your cover letter, rather than allowing the employer to discover the issue themselves, or allow question marks to fill their mind because there is no explanation given (this will usually result in your application being unsuccessful).

(c) Raising an obvious issue with someone before they get the chance to raise it, creates credibility and transparency between you and the employer.

In the world of sales, they call this a ‘common objection or inoculation theory‘. Let me explain:

If a salesperson is selling a product or service that they know other buyers have raised particular issues about previously, and therefore is also probably in the mind of their current buyer, the salesperson will gain more trust and respect if they raise the issue first with the customer.

And as anyone who has been in sales knows, you can’t sell to a person who doesn’t yet trust you.

Apply the same principle of addressing issues first for greater job search success.

(d) You can match your skills to the new job better in a cover letter

A cover letter lets you explain in a conversational style how your previous skills match the new role, particularly so if you are applying for a different type of job.

(e) A cover letter is usually the first document an employer will read

Because first impressions matter a lot, your cover letter could be even more important than your resume in some situations.

(f) It allows you to add important pieces of information not catered for in your resume

A well-written cover letter can provide an opportunity to communicate any crucial information that does not fit well into the resume structure (e.g.) you know someone who works in the organization (or related to someone who does).

Or you are a current raving fan of the organization (if you are not currently a customer of the organization, perhaps you could quickly become one so you can state this truthfully in your cover letter…these things help!).

Or perhaps you have an interest or hobby that is connected to the job that you would like to explain further… or anything else that you think could benefit your application.

(g) It demonstrates your diligence

A cover letter tells the employer you are keen enough to go to the trouble of writing a letter, even when it’s not required.

Employers see a direct correlation between the way you go about applying for a job, and the way you will work in that job (don’t underestimate this – many employers place more importance on how you handle the application process than your skills and experience).

If you can’t be bothered writing a cover letter, this is taken by the employer to mean you can’t be bothered going the extra mile which often means you’re not someone they want.

Tough but true!

Don’t underestimate your prospective employer’s willingness to look for reasons to bypass your application. They will likely receive hundreds of applications.

They need reasons to cull that list quickly and you don’t want to be one of those reasons.

(h) It allows you to show enthusiasm for the job

It allows you to communicate to the employer why you would love to work there. There is nothing more attractive to an employer than someone who is genuinely enthusiastic about coming to work for them. The more specific your reason, the better. And communicate this in an energetic but authentic manner. Don’t try to manufacture enthusiasm. If you really aren’t that keen to work for a particular organization, you are better to find an organization where you would be. It will be better for you in the long run, and also for the organization.

2. When Not to Send a Cover Letter

The only time not to submit a cover letter is when you are categorically asked not to send one.

If you send a cover letter under these circumstances, you would simply be telling the employer that you can’t follow instructions = no interview!

If there is no mention of a cover letter, either for or against, and the job application website does not have a provision to submit a cover letter, I recommend you upload one anyway as part of your resume, clearly marking it as a ‘cover letter’.

You will be ahead of the pack for this job application because no one else will likely go to the trouble, and you have now gained more valuable self-marketing space.

3. Four Key Parts of a Cover Letter

1. Compelling opening paragraph

2. Explain your top three selling points

3. Discuss known issues

4. Confident and expectant closing paragraph

Compelling Opening Paragraph

You’re opening sentence is probably the most important sentence in the entire cover letter.

This is where you either grab your reader or you don’t.

It’s important in your first sentence to get right to the point and make it very compelling.

For example:

“As a high energy, soon-to-graduate marketing major, with hands-on success in generating digital marketing strategies, together with well-honed client relationship skills (see resume), I believe this position is something that I am not only well qualified for but one that I would excel in.”

List Your Top Three Selling Points

By selling points, I simply mean why you think you would be good for the job, and provide evidence of this by outlining past accomplishments.

The middle portion of your resume should promote two or three of your top selling points.

Hopefully, you have done some of this already in your resume.

But here is an opportunity for you to recap just your top 3 reasons, with wording that is sharp and concise (your cover letter should ideally not be any longer than one page and preferably ½ to ¾ of a page).

One of the key skills to hone when writing great cover letters is to say what you need to, with fewer words.

Most of my editing for my website articles, resumes, and cover letters that I provide for clients involve reducing the number of words on the page without lowering impact.

Shorter, more succinct sentences are what you should aim for.

Discuss Known Issues or Possible Objections

This is where you bring to attention any likely negative issues an employer could notice from the content of your resume, as I explained above in #3.

Most people feel uncomfortable doing this because they feel it could impact negatively on their job interview chances.

However, I would encourage you strongly to raise any issues that the astute employer will see anyway.

Most of your competing job applicants won’t do this, so your honest and transparent character will invariably help your job application process (see #3 above for further details).

Confident, Expectant Closing Paragraph

These are the last words you get to communicate to the employer before they likely read (or decide not to read) your resume.

Your last words should convey confidence about your ability to do the job without sounding arrogant or presumptuous – this is a fine line to get the balance right.

One of the most important goals to accomplish with your closing comments is to try to positively influence the reader – and get them excited – about reading your resume. A great cover letter can have a powerful impact on the reader’s mental preparation for reading your resume.

And conversely, a poorly written cover letter could very well cause the employer not to bother reading your resume at all.

Here is one example of a closing paragraph:

“If Metro Construction is looking for an administrative assistant who takes tremendous pride in her work, whose track record demonstrates the pursuit of high-quality standards and accuracy, together with proven people skills, then I would love the opportunity to speak with you about how I could help Metro Construction succeed in their future administrative management.”