So you want to find a new job but don't know where to begin? Maybe you are struggling to get the results that you wanted from traditional job boards and recruiters. What you need to do is focus your job search, make it so that you can find the jobs that aren't readily available.
Did you know that most companies these days have a recruitment page on their website? Entire sections devoted to showing what jobs they have available.
Of course the problem is that when you do a Google search for your skill set you get job boards and recruitment companies. Worthwhile to a degree but you could really do with seeing the companies directly, knowing what the job really is.
But by putting some thought into it you can uncover these gem job pages on company sites without going near a jobsite or recruiter.
Think for a moment, what companies would you like to work for? Look at their website, see if there is a job section and if they are looking for people with your skills.
But don't just leave it there think about what companies you used to work for. What companies your clients, customers and suppliers worked for. What companies your own colleagues or former colleagues used to work for.
These will all be companies in the same industry as you who hire people with your skill set. Some simple research, some checking out of their website etc can tell you if they are looking for people or not - getting you access to jobs that many jobsites or recruiters simply don't have on their books.
Friday, February 10, 2012
Social Networking Can Damage Your Job Search If You Let It
Social networking sites are fun and can be a huge asset to your job hunt. Sites like LinkedIn are designed for professional networking can be a very important part of your job search strategy. In fact, the follow up to this article will outline exactly how helpful sites like LinkedIn can be in a job hunt and how to take full advantage of them. But what about the rest of the social networking stratosphere? What about sites like MySpace and Facebook to name just two out of the many that are out there.
The positives:
You can keep in touch with friends. They are places to express yourself and share your creative side.
The Possible Downside: More and more companies are using social networking sites as part of their interviewing and background checking process and frequently find content on these sites that ultimately change their mind about offering someone a position.
The concept of social networking is great, but since you have little control over who sees your profile even if you set your profile to private you still have to be mindful of exactly what you put out for the world to see.
Set Your Privacy Settings to "Friends Only" For those of you who haven't taken this step yet get right on it. The majority of people leave the setting as public, but if you are in a job search, this is the first precaution to take.
In Facebook, there are many options for how you can limit the information that other people can see, so take advantage of it. In some cases, if you choose a large network like a major city and you don't limit your settings, everyone in that network can see your information by default. On the other hand, you can limit it to just your friends. You can limit particular information, such as the applications you have added, posts on your wall, or photos in which you have been tagged, to just you so no one else can see it at all. The many privacy settings can be found in the Account link when you log in.
The default setting in MySpace is public. Go to your homepage and click on Account Settings. Change the setting to Friends Only. If you are saying to yourself, "But I already set my privacy settings so only my friends can see my profile so this isn't relevant to me." Not so fast! An article by Kevin Gray on www.jobweb.com told a true story of someone who almost lost a job offer because the company he was interviewing with was a state agency and was able to access his "private" profile under the Patriot Act. That's why the steps in the rest of this article are also very important in protecting your job search.
Only Invite Your REAL Friends into your Network The MySpace website itself states that people are not always who they say they are. While this warning is most significant in the area of child safety on the internet, it is also relevant to your job hunt. You don't want to open your profile to people you do not know.
Blocking Users If you decide to block a user for any reason, just keep in mind that a blocked user can not even view your profile or see you in search results on Facebook, but they CAN still see your profile in MySpace, but they just can't contact you. It's an important difference if you are attempting to block a potential employer.
Limit Personal info During Setup When you create your MySpace profile, you are able to share a lot of personal information about yourself, such as sexual orientation, relationship status, ethnicity, body type, religion, occupation and income. Facebook allows you to show your sex, relationship status and birthday. Be aware that a potential employer can see this information. The company should be making a decision based on your qualifications and not any of the above. It's best to keep it out of the job search process so limit what you post. You can also go back and remove or hide the information as you head into a job search. Friend-only
"Friend-only Blog Comments": If you only want people you know to be able to post comments on your blog or profile in MySpace, it's important that you check this option under Account Settings. "Friend Only Group Invites": Unfortunately, MySpace groups are being used to post adult content and unsuspecting people are being invited into these groups to increase the group's membership count. If you only want to be invited into groups by your friends, check this option.
Other Important Settings
"Approve Comments before Posting": this function allows you to have control over what other people are posting on your page. Without it, anyone can write anything they like on your page without you knowing ahead of time. Sometimes friends can write things that they may think are funny, but you wouldn't necessarily want an employer to view as being endorsed by you. You can reject any comment that you deem inappropriate for what you want out there in your online presence. "No Pic Forwarding": This is a way for you to prevent people from sending links to your pictures to other people who you don't know in MySpace. And while you don't want people who you don't know to see your pictures, you also have to consider the appropriateness of the photos that you are posting to begin with. Think about what photos are acceptable to be seen by a potential employer and use that as a guide as to what you post. Precautions Get familiar with phishing scams and how to avoid them. If you are ever sent an email that looks like it is from your social networking site, make sure it is legitimate before logging in to a fake site. Your login information can be captured and explicit or unwanted content can be placed on your page.
Post For the Long-term Sites like MySpace and Facebook are inherently about creativity and self-expression. But don't let that fool you. An employer doesn't necessarily consider a photo proudly displaying your 10 tattoos something they would be comfortable with, especially if you are being considered for a client-facing position. Don't post for the "now"; think about your future. Will you be searching for a job at some point? Will you be entering a conservative industry? A picture of you boozing at a frat house may be funny to your friends at age 19, but may hurt your job hunt at a conservative law firm at age 25.
Take these precautions and your job hunt will be stronger because of it. And remember that while there is a potential down-side to social networking sites during a job search, there is also a huge upside.
The positives:
You can keep in touch with friends. They are places to express yourself and share your creative side.
The Possible Downside: More and more companies are using social networking sites as part of their interviewing and background checking process and frequently find content on these sites that ultimately change their mind about offering someone a position.
The concept of social networking is great, but since you have little control over who sees your profile even if you set your profile to private you still have to be mindful of exactly what you put out for the world to see.
Set Your Privacy Settings to "Friends Only" For those of you who haven't taken this step yet get right on it. The majority of people leave the setting as public, but if you are in a job search, this is the first precaution to take.
In Facebook, there are many options for how you can limit the information that other people can see, so take advantage of it. In some cases, if you choose a large network like a major city and you don't limit your settings, everyone in that network can see your information by default. On the other hand, you can limit it to just your friends. You can limit particular information, such as the applications you have added, posts on your wall, or photos in which you have been tagged, to just you so no one else can see it at all. The many privacy settings can be found in the Account link when you log in.
The default setting in MySpace is public. Go to your homepage and click on Account Settings. Change the setting to Friends Only. If you are saying to yourself, "But I already set my privacy settings so only my friends can see my profile so this isn't relevant to me." Not so fast! An article by Kevin Gray on www.jobweb.com told a true story of someone who almost lost a job offer because the company he was interviewing with was a state agency and was able to access his "private" profile under the Patriot Act. That's why the steps in the rest of this article are also very important in protecting your job search.
Only Invite Your REAL Friends into your Network The MySpace website itself states that people are not always who they say they are. While this warning is most significant in the area of child safety on the internet, it is also relevant to your job hunt. You don't want to open your profile to people you do not know.
Blocking Users If you decide to block a user for any reason, just keep in mind that a blocked user can not even view your profile or see you in search results on Facebook, but they CAN still see your profile in MySpace, but they just can't contact you. It's an important difference if you are attempting to block a potential employer.
Limit Personal info During Setup When you create your MySpace profile, you are able to share a lot of personal information about yourself, such as sexual orientation, relationship status, ethnicity, body type, religion, occupation and income. Facebook allows you to show your sex, relationship status and birthday. Be aware that a potential employer can see this information. The company should be making a decision based on your qualifications and not any of the above. It's best to keep it out of the job search process so limit what you post. You can also go back and remove or hide the information as you head into a job search. Friend-only
"Friend-only Blog Comments": If you only want people you know to be able to post comments on your blog or profile in MySpace, it's important that you check this option under Account Settings. "Friend Only Group Invites": Unfortunately, MySpace groups are being used to post adult content and unsuspecting people are being invited into these groups to increase the group's membership count. If you only want to be invited into groups by your friends, check this option.
Other Important Settings
"Approve Comments before Posting": this function allows you to have control over what other people are posting on your page. Without it, anyone can write anything they like on your page without you knowing ahead of time. Sometimes friends can write things that they may think are funny, but you wouldn't necessarily want an employer to view as being endorsed by you. You can reject any comment that you deem inappropriate for what you want out there in your online presence. "No Pic Forwarding": This is a way for you to prevent people from sending links to your pictures to other people who you don't know in MySpace. And while you don't want people who you don't know to see your pictures, you also have to consider the appropriateness of the photos that you are posting to begin with. Think about what photos are acceptable to be seen by a potential employer and use that as a guide as to what you post. Precautions Get familiar with phishing scams and how to avoid them. If you are ever sent an email that looks like it is from your social networking site, make sure it is legitimate before logging in to a fake site. Your login information can be captured and explicit or unwanted content can be placed on your page.
Post For the Long-term Sites like MySpace and Facebook are inherently about creativity and self-expression. But don't let that fool you. An employer doesn't necessarily consider a photo proudly displaying your 10 tattoos something they would be comfortable with, especially if you are being considered for a client-facing position. Don't post for the "now"; think about your future. Will you be searching for a job at some point? Will you be entering a conservative industry? A picture of you boozing at a frat house may be funny to your friends at age 19, but may hurt your job hunt at a conservative law firm at age 25.
Take these precautions and your job hunt will be stronger because of it. And remember that while there is a potential down-side to social networking sites during a job search, there is also a huge upside.
Resume Writing Tips - Your Resume Is The Key To Your Job Interview
Are you confident in your ability to ace your job interview? While that may be crucial to locking up job offer, you'll never get the job interview if you don't wow them with your resume first. So how do you wow them?
Writing your resume, while being the key to a successful job search, shouldn't fill you with dread. You don't have to write the great American novel. You don't need to come up with some exciting and surprising plot twists. There are definite resume writing tips and techniques you can use to make your resume stand out in a large pile of other resumes.
You need to tailor your resume so that it highlights all the qualifications, work experience and any education that you've had that best represents the type of work you are applying for. You should also include any other work experience that you've had, as well as any accomplishments that you have made in your field.
While you want your resume to be formatted properly, as well as look very professional, it should stand out because of your qualifications and skills, not because it's in green calligraphy font on hot pink 11 x 14 inch paper.
Let's take a look at some crucial resume writing tips you should know to improve your resume. These are some of the things you need to avoid if you want your resume to stand out in a positive way.
* Don't leave out or try and bury crucial information that needs to be on your resume.
* If you have major gaps in your work history, it's best to address that right up front. This is probably something you'll want to include in your resume cover letter. If you just list your work history and there's a big gap of time that you didn't work, the employer is not going to call you and ask you about it. There are plenty of other resumes to look it. Yours will go in the trash.
* If you have a summary, make it short and concise. Employers and recruiters don't want to read your life story.
* Use a standard and simple font like Times New Roman, or Courier. Like I mentioned above, stay away from fancy fonts on your resume.
* Avoid writing your resume as a narrative. It should not be in the first or third person. Your resume will sell you as being arrogant or egotistical. That's not the way to get a job interview.
* No pictures or graphics!! No! No! No! Your resume should be text only. Period.
* I know this one seems obvious but you'd be surprised at what gets put on a resume. Do not lie on your resume. It will come back to haunt you. It may not be until well after you get a job, but it will happen.
* Forget about the trivial stuff, like hobbies. It doesn't help and it could hurt your job search.
* Don't use long paragraphs in your resume. Everything should be short and concise.
* Keep your resume length at two pages maximum. You don't have to worry about fitting your resume on one page but don't go longer than two. Everything you need to convey on your resume can be handled sufficiently in two pages.
* Spelling and grammar errors will kill you. Proofread and proofread again and then get someone you trust to proofread it as well.
Avoiding these resume writing mistakes will go a long way toward writing a resume that gets you a job interview.
Writing your resume, while being the key to a successful job search, shouldn't fill you with dread. You don't have to write the great American novel. You don't need to come up with some exciting and surprising plot twists. There are definite resume writing tips and techniques you can use to make your resume stand out in a large pile of other resumes.
You need to tailor your resume so that it highlights all the qualifications, work experience and any education that you've had that best represents the type of work you are applying for. You should also include any other work experience that you've had, as well as any accomplishments that you have made in your field.
While you want your resume to be formatted properly, as well as look very professional, it should stand out because of your qualifications and skills, not because it's in green calligraphy font on hot pink 11 x 14 inch paper.
Let's take a look at some crucial resume writing tips you should know to improve your resume. These are some of the things you need to avoid if you want your resume to stand out in a positive way.
* Don't leave out or try and bury crucial information that needs to be on your resume.
* If you have major gaps in your work history, it's best to address that right up front. This is probably something you'll want to include in your resume cover letter. If you just list your work history and there's a big gap of time that you didn't work, the employer is not going to call you and ask you about it. There are plenty of other resumes to look it. Yours will go in the trash.
* If you have a summary, make it short and concise. Employers and recruiters don't want to read your life story.
* Use a standard and simple font like Times New Roman, or Courier. Like I mentioned above, stay away from fancy fonts on your resume.
* Avoid writing your resume as a narrative. It should not be in the first or third person. Your resume will sell you as being arrogant or egotistical. That's not the way to get a job interview.
* No pictures or graphics!! No! No! No! Your resume should be text only. Period.
* I know this one seems obvious but you'd be surprised at what gets put on a resume. Do not lie on your resume. It will come back to haunt you. It may not be until well after you get a job, but it will happen.
* Forget about the trivial stuff, like hobbies. It doesn't help and it could hurt your job search.
* Don't use long paragraphs in your resume. Everything should be short and concise.
* Keep your resume length at two pages maximum. You don't have to worry about fitting your resume on one page but don't go longer than two. Everything you need to convey on your resume can be handled sufficiently in two pages.
* Spelling and grammar errors will kill you. Proofread and proofread again and then get someone you trust to proofread it as well.
Avoiding these resume writing mistakes will go a long way toward writing a resume that gets you a job interview.
What Says More to Employers - Your Resume or Your Web Page?
Everyone is connected digitally. Your resume may say a lot about you, but does your web page say more to an employer than you want them to know? Your resume may become a waste of paper if an employer performs a simple Google search and learns that you drink too much, are promiscuous, steal or even worse.
Don't make the mistake of thinking a prospective employer isn't going to check up on you. They will. They do.
If you have been sending out a lot of resumes, but not receiving any phone calls for interviews, you should probably start asking yourself some questions. You goal is determining what it is that is disqualifying you from making the desired impact you are trying to make on prospective employers.
The resume in some instances is not the problem. A job candidate's qualifications may even be a perfect match for a job opening. What ends up destroying a persons chances of getting past the screening process can be as simple as the means they are using to make social contacts on the internet.
Recruiters and hiring managers have a difficult job themselves. They are trying to find the best people to fill vacant positions. While there are almost always more candidates than there are jobs available, many candidates leave themselves wide open to scrutiny by allowing simple situations to control their career potential. Sometimes this is not an on-line issue, but other times it is.
You have heard of My Space or perhaps Xanga. You may have accounts on those sites. It shouldn't be difficult to appreciate how employers are turning to those sites and others like them to find out more about job candidates. Really...how hard it is to Google anything these days?
People who provide public details of their private lives are in jeopardy of becoming a casualty in the job search process. Why? Many people think that posting comments about past relationships, drinking binges, gloating about cheating on test or other such unacceptable behavior is not going to be read by anyone other than their friends.
That line of thinking couldn't be more wrong. You would be shocked by what a person can find out about you with just a few clicks or just a few dollars.
Be cautious if you use social sites on the web. Omit details that might eliminate you from being considered for a job opportunity. Recruiters and hiring managers will be checking to see if you have a web presence. If you do, be conservative and upbeat. Reflect to others the kind of person you want to be known as. Employers take that seriously, too.
Don't make the mistake of thinking a prospective employer isn't going to check up on you. They will. They do.
If you have been sending out a lot of resumes, but not receiving any phone calls for interviews, you should probably start asking yourself some questions. You goal is determining what it is that is disqualifying you from making the desired impact you are trying to make on prospective employers.
The resume in some instances is not the problem. A job candidate's qualifications may even be a perfect match for a job opening. What ends up destroying a persons chances of getting past the screening process can be as simple as the means they are using to make social contacts on the internet.
Recruiters and hiring managers have a difficult job themselves. They are trying to find the best people to fill vacant positions. While there are almost always more candidates than there are jobs available, many candidates leave themselves wide open to scrutiny by allowing simple situations to control their career potential. Sometimes this is not an on-line issue, but other times it is.
You have heard of My Space or perhaps Xanga. You may have accounts on those sites. It shouldn't be difficult to appreciate how employers are turning to those sites and others like them to find out more about job candidates. Really...how hard it is to Google anything these days?
People who provide public details of their private lives are in jeopardy of becoming a casualty in the job search process. Why? Many people think that posting comments about past relationships, drinking binges, gloating about cheating on test or other such unacceptable behavior is not going to be read by anyone other than their friends.
That line of thinking couldn't be more wrong. You would be shocked by what a person can find out about you with just a few clicks or just a few dollars.
Be cautious if you use social sites on the web. Omit details that might eliminate you from being considered for a job opportunity. Recruiters and hiring managers will be checking to see if you have a web presence. If you do, be conservative and upbeat. Reflect to others the kind of person you want to be known as. Employers take that seriously, too.
Are You Making These Nine Fatal Mistakes in Your Yellow Pages Ads?
Apart from the major downside of the Yellow Pages, that it is nipplepiercingly expensive, it is still a bottom achingly brilliant vehicle to take your marketing message to your target audience. Well, some people think, the YP is on its way out, and I totally agree, but I believe it has a few more years of marching to do until it completely vanishes into thin air or even into a puff of smoke.
The good news is that people who look you up in the Yellow Pages are very serious buyers. They need what you sell right now. So, when they contact you, you are in for a very short buying cycle. And that is a great advantage. However, this advantage comes at a price tag and a pretty high level of commitment from your end. The good news is that...
Some 97% of the Yellow Pages Ads Are Duds
Just look up the YP in any category. All the ads look exactly the same. No difference. Not a sausage. You can shift the company names between ads and you see that they all do the same thing the same way. There is no differentiation. They are like teenagers: They so desperately try to be different from everyone else that they end up looking and behaving exactly the same way as everyone else. Hm.
So, where is the problem with all those YP ads? The Book of Boredom, Yawn and Drab: Are You Making These Nine Fatal Mistakes in Your Yellow Pages Ads?
Apart from the major downside of the Yellow Pages, that it is nipplepiercingly expensive, it is still a bottomachingly brilliant vehicle to take your marketing message to your target audience. Well, some people think, the YP is on its way out, and I totally agree, but I believe it has a few more years of marching to do until it completely vanishes into thin air or even into a puff of smoke.
The good news is that people who look you up in the Yellow Pages are very serious buyers. They need what you sell right now. So, when they contact you, you are in for a very short buying cycle. And that is a great advantage. However, this advantage comes at a price tag and a pretty high level of commitment from your end. The good news is that...
Some 97% of the Yellow Pages Ads Are Duds
Just look up the YP in any category. All the ads look exactly the same. No difference. Not a sausage. You can shift the company names between ads and you see that they all do the same thing the same way. There is no differentiation. They are like teenagers: They so desperately try to be different from everyone else that they end up looking and behaving exactly the same way as everyone else. Hm.
So, where is the problem with all those YP ads?
First Let's Look at Some YP Stats
The Yellow Pages reach 76% of the population in the average month, 57% in the average week, and 17% daily. Adults refer to the Yellow Pages almost twice per week, or approximately 19 billion times per year.
88% of these references result in contact with a purchase or an intent to purchase.
Because the Yellow Pages is a reference medium, like classified ads in newspapers, providing over 50% of new clients.
52% of potential clients either have no service provider in mind, or have multiple names in mind when they see your Yellow Pages ad. Your ad can clarify one name for them: Yours.
The average business gets $6 in profit for every $1 invested in Yellow Pages advertising. With a good ad you can even beat that. But be aware of average. When the average temperature in a hospital is normal, it can also mean that half of the patients suffer from high fever and the other half are dead. The YP is the same. Some people make huge profits on their ads, and some curse the name of the person who invented the Yellow Pages. The interesting thing is that the idiots volunteer to lose on their ads rather than hiring a Yellow Pages specialist.
The average cost of half page Yellow Pages display ad for one full year is over $15,000, so you had better know what you are doing.
81% of YP readers (potential clients) start at the beginning of the heading when they don't have a business name in mind.
66% of readers believe that a larger display ad indicates a more established, more realizable business. 70% look at the larger ads when they are not sure where to buy.
20% of readers want to see more information. Can you see why you need a website?
81% of readers make contact with the advertising business.
34% will contact a company they had never contacted before. How good are you at handling first contacts? Is your receptionist a minimum-wage bimbo from the bottom of the unemployment scum barrel or a true professional with the necessary communications skills? Also, I sincerely hope that you have something better than a "corporate voice mail labyrinth".
42% of people will contact two or more businesses. Remember the receptionist syndrome. Your receptionist brings you business. I don't care how good of a lawyer, engineer or gravedigger you are. Everything hinges on your receptionist. So, start appreciating and paying her properly. Believe it or not, she carries major "bankrupting power" over your business.
For readers with both small and large directories in their homes, 38% will use the small book, 62% will use the large book, and 8% will reference multiple books. Maybe the lower cost of the small, local book is a good deal after all. There are over 4200 active headings in the yellow pages, and YP can create your own heading for you if needed. So, let's look at...
Ten Typical Yellow Pages Mistakes and They Can Be Avoided
1. Failing to do the necessary pre-placement planning: Typically when do business owners plan their Yellow Pages ads? Actually never, until they get a call from the YP rep, and they hand over their money to the rep and say they blindly trust the Yellow Pages' ad specialists to create the ad. Keep something in mind. The Yellow Pages doesn't care whether or not you make any business from your ad. With this in mind, what is the logic for the YP company to hire expensive ad specialists? Increasing overhead costs? No.
They will create an ad that looks exactly the same as all your competitors', so but your chance of being selected when potential buyers peruse your category is not much. So, what to include in your pre-placement planning?
Some are... What results do you want to achieve from your ad?
What is your Most Wanted Action? (Action you want your prospects to take?
What proportion of your business do you expect to come from YP?
Who is your target market?
What is your biggest primary and secondary benefit?
Do you have an offer both for "Ready to Buy" prospects and for prospects who are looking for more information?
Which directories do you put your ad in?
2. Imitating the competition: Most YP advertisers are like teenagers: In their efforts of looking unique, they look exactly the same. Again, what happens when a business' YP ad comes up for renewal? The ad must be in within ten minutes, so the job gets dumped on a people who have never done advertising in their lives. They look up YP, copy one of the competitors' ads and place them. And retarded business owners all over the world fork out their hard-earned money for some braindead "me too" type ads. Here are the typical ways businesses imitate each other:
The headline is replaced with the company name or logo.
Benefits are replaced with product description. Hint: If you sell drills, advertise amazing holes, not drills. If you are a realtor, advertise quality of life not houses.
Hours of business and location
Company's slogan or mission
"We take all credit cards"
And the normal reaction to all this rubbish is: "So what!?"
3. Failing to place ads under multiple categories: Most YP advertisers try to save money by placing their ads into one category only. The poor creatures spend a small fortune on their ads, but refuse to spend the extra few dollars to make sure they get maximum results.
4. Writing an ad that pleases you, while ignoring the buyer's self-interest: Most ads are "me" based: "Look what I want to sell you". They don't care about what buyers want to buy. Which only proves that so many companies totally don't understand their target markets and what they want. Just think of the hole and drill example. Don't get me wrong. I don't suggest extensive and expensive market research, but there are some cost-effective ways of testing the marketplace.
Just think about it. If you want to jump into the swimming pool, you just have to check it for water and temperature, and you are ready to swim at your heart's content. But you don't need to hire a team of experts to launch a full-blown research project on swimming pools, the science of concrete pouring and fluid dynamics. That's retarded but that what most companies do under the aegis of market research. Hint: How many people do you know who "research" their spouses before marrying them?
Don't waste your time and money researching the market. You will never get the true answers to your research. Instead of research, just keep testing the market. Then you find the true answer. You see Edison didn't research the light bulb. He tested his ideas over and over again, and then it worked out.
Before you place your YP, use some small ads in the local paper, or even better, use Google AdWords. Google can be your most trusted friend when it comes to testing your headlines and call for action.
5. Failing to consider the five main components of the ad.
1) A kick-butt compelling headline: The headline is the ad for the ad. The headline alone can increase or reduce response rate by as much as 2100%. When you write your ad, you have to spend at least 80% of your time on the headline.
2) Attractive benefits: No one cares what kind of cleaning agents you use in your carpet cleaning business. To succeed, you must promote cleanliness. Without this, even if your headline catches their attention, the ad itself fails to keep their interest.
3) A sexy offer: After the benefits, you must offer a very specific offer. Personally I prefer to direct YP reader to the website where a free Special Report or some other free offer waits for them. But they have to put in their names and email addresses. This approach has never failed.
4) Call for action: This is a huge problem. Most ads are lame and don't ask readers to take any kind of action. Make sure you ask for a very specific action. Remember, your ad's job is to generate sales leads and sales. If your ad doesn't generate new business, it is dead, and you have just lost your money.
5) Appropriate contact information: Put in all the appropriate contact points where you can be reached.
6. Failing to position your company as a trusted resource: You have two options here: Either you compete with other advertisers by peddling your stuff, or position yourself as helpful resource and offer relevant information to aid your buyer's decision. Yes, most prospects who look you up in YP are "Ready to Buy" buyers, but it is still a nice and unique touch to offer some relevant information - and I am not talking about brochures or this kind of nonsense. I mean some valuable stuff, like a Special Report or Consumer's Guide. Imagine. Every ad in your section is screaming, "Give me your money". But you say, "We have valuable information for you that can save you time or money. For a free report, "Ten Deadly Mistakes Accountants Make When Handling Their Own Taxes" call us at xxx-xxx-xxxx or visit our website at http://www.xxxx.com." Now this is an attractive proposition.
With this approach your ad stands out like a trombonist in a heavy metal band. You make your ad different. You create a predisposition towards your company. You position yourself as the expert of the category. It makes you unique for you alone are doing it.
7. Failing to use other lead generation channels: The biggest problem is that you peg your future on one single channel of lead generation. It is like a one-legged table. While standing, it is fine, but when it collapses, then years and years of hard work can go down the toilet.
In order to get a steady stream of qualified sales leads, you need at least four channels of lead generation. One is your YP ad, but you need more, and I suggest that one channel is a properly structured website. I say properly structure because some 98% of all websites out there are total failures as lead generation channels.
All right. Some people say they have no intention to use their websites to bring in business. Then what is the point in having an expense in your business that is not producing? Would you have employees in your company who openly brag about their unwillingness to do any work? That is plain retarded.
8. Telling prospects they can find you in YP: Why would you direct your prospects to a competitive minefield that is riddled with ads (many of them are much better than yours) from your competitors who are desperate to see you out of business and starve to death, knowing that will give them more business? This may sound drastic, and it is. But this is the reality. Yes, your ad is in YP but you lose all of your advantages because all your competitors are promoting the same advantages. Your ad just blends into the competitive environment. Instead of guiding prospects to the Yellow Pages, guide them to your website. That is your home turf with no competition.
9. Failing to track responses. Over the years of writing Yellow Pages ads and organising campaigns for clients I have seen this over and over again. And do you know where this logic comes from. From large ad agencies that try to convince their clients that ads can't be traced and tracked, and that clients just have to fork out the dough and then fly blind. Originally I studied engineering, so for me everything must be traceable and trackable, and this habit has served me nicely over the years. Just figure out how to track your responses and don't believe the ad agencies. Hey, have you thought why most ad agencies use door-to-door peddlers to sell their services? Maybe because they are pretty lousy at advertising their own stuff and they have to resort to traditional prospecting grunt work. Just a thought really...
So, we have covered some ground here. Make sure you implement these nine points in your Yellow Pages ads, and you will see a big difference.
The good news is that people who look you up in the Yellow Pages are very serious buyers. They need what you sell right now. So, when they contact you, you are in for a very short buying cycle. And that is a great advantage. However, this advantage comes at a price tag and a pretty high level of commitment from your end. The good news is that...
Some 97% of the Yellow Pages Ads Are Duds
Just look up the YP in any category. All the ads look exactly the same. No difference. Not a sausage. You can shift the company names between ads and you see that they all do the same thing the same way. There is no differentiation. They are like teenagers: They so desperately try to be different from everyone else that they end up looking and behaving exactly the same way as everyone else. Hm.
So, where is the problem with all those YP ads? The Book of Boredom, Yawn and Drab: Are You Making These Nine Fatal Mistakes in Your Yellow Pages Ads?
Apart from the major downside of the Yellow Pages, that it is nipplepiercingly expensive, it is still a bottomachingly brilliant vehicle to take your marketing message to your target audience. Well, some people think, the YP is on its way out, and I totally agree, but I believe it has a few more years of marching to do until it completely vanishes into thin air or even into a puff of smoke.
The good news is that people who look you up in the Yellow Pages are very serious buyers. They need what you sell right now. So, when they contact you, you are in for a very short buying cycle. And that is a great advantage. However, this advantage comes at a price tag and a pretty high level of commitment from your end. The good news is that...
Some 97% of the Yellow Pages Ads Are Duds
Just look up the YP in any category. All the ads look exactly the same. No difference. Not a sausage. You can shift the company names between ads and you see that they all do the same thing the same way. There is no differentiation. They are like teenagers: They so desperately try to be different from everyone else that they end up looking and behaving exactly the same way as everyone else. Hm.
So, where is the problem with all those YP ads?
First Let's Look at Some YP Stats
The Yellow Pages reach 76% of the population in the average month, 57% in the average week, and 17% daily. Adults refer to the Yellow Pages almost twice per week, or approximately 19 billion times per year.
88% of these references result in contact with a purchase or an intent to purchase.
Because the Yellow Pages is a reference medium, like classified ads in newspapers, providing over 50% of new clients.
52% of potential clients either have no service provider in mind, or have multiple names in mind when they see your Yellow Pages ad. Your ad can clarify one name for them: Yours.
The average business gets $6 in profit for every $1 invested in Yellow Pages advertising. With a good ad you can even beat that. But be aware of average. When the average temperature in a hospital is normal, it can also mean that half of the patients suffer from high fever and the other half are dead. The YP is the same. Some people make huge profits on their ads, and some curse the name of the person who invented the Yellow Pages. The interesting thing is that the idiots volunteer to lose on their ads rather than hiring a Yellow Pages specialist.
The average cost of half page Yellow Pages display ad for one full year is over $15,000, so you had better know what you are doing.
81% of YP readers (potential clients) start at the beginning of the heading when they don't have a business name in mind.
66% of readers believe that a larger display ad indicates a more established, more realizable business. 70% look at the larger ads when they are not sure where to buy.
20% of readers want to see more information. Can you see why you need a website?
81% of readers make contact with the advertising business.
34% will contact a company they had never contacted before. How good are you at handling first contacts? Is your receptionist a minimum-wage bimbo from the bottom of the unemployment scum barrel or a true professional with the necessary communications skills? Also, I sincerely hope that you have something better than a "corporate voice mail labyrinth".
42% of people will contact two or more businesses. Remember the receptionist syndrome. Your receptionist brings you business. I don't care how good of a lawyer, engineer or gravedigger you are. Everything hinges on your receptionist. So, start appreciating and paying her properly. Believe it or not, she carries major "bankrupting power" over your business.
For readers with both small and large directories in their homes, 38% will use the small book, 62% will use the large book, and 8% will reference multiple books. Maybe the lower cost of the small, local book is a good deal after all. There are over 4200 active headings in the yellow pages, and YP can create your own heading for you if needed. So, let's look at...
Ten Typical Yellow Pages Mistakes and They Can Be Avoided
1. Failing to do the necessary pre-placement planning: Typically when do business owners plan their Yellow Pages ads? Actually never, until they get a call from the YP rep, and they hand over their money to the rep and say they blindly trust the Yellow Pages' ad specialists to create the ad. Keep something in mind. The Yellow Pages doesn't care whether or not you make any business from your ad. With this in mind, what is the logic for the YP company to hire expensive ad specialists? Increasing overhead costs? No.
They will create an ad that looks exactly the same as all your competitors', so but your chance of being selected when potential buyers peruse your category is not much. So, what to include in your pre-placement planning?
Some are... What results do you want to achieve from your ad?
What is your Most Wanted Action? (Action you want your prospects to take?
What proportion of your business do you expect to come from YP?
Who is your target market?
What is your biggest primary and secondary benefit?
Do you have an offer both for "Ready to Buy" prospects and for prospects who are looking for more information?
Which directories do you put your ad in?
2. Imitating the competition: Most YP advertisers are like teenagers: In their efforts of looking unique, they look exactly the same. Again, what happens when a business' YP ad comes up for renewal? The ad must be in within ten minutes, so the job gets dumped on a people who have never done advertising in their lives. They look up YP, copy one of the competitors' ads and place them. And retarded business owners all over the world fork out their hard-earned money for some braindead "me too" type ads. Here are the typical ways businesses imitate each other:
The headline is replaced with the company name or logo.
Benefits are replaced with product description. Hint: If you sell drills, advertise amazing holes, not drills. If you are a realtor, advertise quality of life not houses.
Hours of business and location
Company's slogan or mission
"We take all credit cards"
And the normal reaction to all this rubbish is: "So what!?"
3. Failing to place ads under multiple categories: Most YP advertisers try to save money by placing their ads into one category only. The poor creatures spend a small fortune on their ads, but refuse to spend the extra few dollars to make sure they get maximum results.
4. Writing an ad that pleases you, while ignoring the buyer's self-interest: Most ads are "me" based: "Look what I want to sell you". They don't care about what buyers want to buy. Which only proves that so many companies totally don't understand their target markets and what they want. Just think of the hole and drill example. Don't get me wrong. I don't suggest extensive and expensive market research, but there are some cost-effective ways of testing the marketplace.
Just think about it. If you want to jump into the swimming pool, you just have to check it for water and temperature, and you are ready to swim at your heart's content. But you don't need to hire a team of experts to launch a full-blown research project on swimming pools, the science of concrete pouring and fluid dynamics. That's retarded but that what most companies do under the aegis of market research. Hint: How many people do you know who "research" their spouses before marrying them?
Don't waste your time and money researching the market. You will never get the true answers to your research. Instead of research, just keep testing the market. Then you find the true answer. You see Edison didn't research the light bulb. He tested his ideas over and over again, and then it worked out.
Before you place your YP, use some small ads in the local paper, or even better, use Google AdWords. Google can be your most trusted friend when it comes to testing your headlines and call for action.
5. Failing to consider the five main components of the ad.
1) A kick-butt compelling headline: The headline is the ad for the ad. The headline alone can increase or reduce response rate by as much as 2100%. When you write your ad, you have to spend at least 80% of your time on the headline.
2) Attractive benefits: No one cares what kind of cleaning agents you use in your carpet cleaning business. To succeed, you must promote cleanliness. Without this, even if your headline catches their attention, the ad itself fails to keep their interest.
3) A sexy offer: After the benefits, you must offer a very specific offer. Personally I prefer to direct YP reader to the website where a free Special Report or some other free offer waits for them. But they have to put in their names and email addresses. This approach has never failed.
4) Call for action: This is a huge problem. Most ads are lame and don't ask readers to take any kind of action. Make sure you ask for a very specific action. Remember, your ad's job is to generate sales leads and sales. If your ad doesn't generate new business, it is dead, and you have just lost your money.
5) Appropriate contact information: Put in all the appropriate contact points where you can be reached.
6. Failing to position your company as a trusted resource: You have two options here: Either you compete with other advertisers by peddling your stuff, or position yourself as helpful resource and offer relevant information to aid your buyer's decision. Yes, most prospects who look you up in YP are "Ready to Buy" buyers, but it is still a nice and unique touch to offer some relevant information - and I am not talking about brochures or this kind of nonsense. I mean some valuable stuff, like a Special Report or Consumer's Guide. Imagine. Every ad in your section is screaming, "Give me your money". But you say, "We have valuable information for you that can save you time or money. For a free report, "Ten Deadly Mistakes Accountants Make When Handling Their Own Taxes" call us at xxx-xxx-xxxx or visit our website at http://www.xxxx.com." Now this is an attractive proposition.
With this approach your ad stands out like a trombonist in a heavy metal band. You make your ad different. You create a predisposition towards your company. You position yourself as the expert of the category. It makes you unique for you alone are doing it.
7. Failing to use other lead generation channels: The biggest problem is that you peg your future on one single channel of lead generation. It is like a one-legged table. While standing, it is fine, but when it collapses, then years and years of hard work can go down the toilet.
In order to get a steady stream of qualified sales leads, you need at least four channels of lead generation. One is your YP ad, but you need more, and I suggest that one channel is a properly structured website. I say properly structure because some 98% of all websites out there are total failures as lead generation channels.
All right. Some people say they have no intention to use their websites to bring in business. Then what is the point in having an expense in your business that is not producing? Would you have employees in your company who openly brag about their unwillingness to do any work? That is plain retarded.
8. Telling prospects they can find you in YP: Why would you direct your prospects to a competitive minefield that is riddled with ads (many of them are much better than yours) from your competitors who are desperate to see you out of business and starve to death, knowing that will give them more business? This may sound drastic, and it is. But this is the reality. Yes, your ad is in YP but you lose all of your advantages because all your competitors are promoting the same advantages. Your ad just blends into the competitive environment. Instead of guiding prospects to the Yellow Pages, guide them to your website. That is your home turf with no competition.
9. Failing to track responses. Over the years of writing Yellow Pages ads and organising campaigns for clients I have seen this over and over again. And do you know where this logic comes from. From large ad agencies that try to convince their clients that ads can't be traced and tracked, and that clients just have to fork out the dough and then fly blind. Originally I studied engineering, so for me everything must be traceable and trackable, and this habit has served me nicely over the years. Just figure out how to track your responses and don't believe the ad agencies. Hey, have you thought why most ad agencies use door-to-door peddlers to sell their services? Maybe because they are pretty lousy at advertising their own stuff and they have to resort to traditional prospecting grunt work. Just a thought really...
So, we have covered some ground here. Make sure you implement these nine points in your Yellow Pages ads, and you will see a big difference.
Choosing the Right Resume Format to Maximize Your Job Search Results
With hundreds (if not thousands) of people competing with you for that dream job, how can you get ahead of the pack?
The resume is the primary tool used to land a job. It reflects upon your past and, more importantly, it can indicate your future. Your resume acts as a bait to lure the big fishes. If you can write a good resume, your chances of getting hired are greatly increased.
When writing a resume, you need to take into account the specific position you are applying for. This determines how you will write your resume. People who are trying to have a career change write their resumes differently than those pursuing a job in the same career path.
There are three main types of resume formats - chronological, functional and combination. Each has its own specific advantages and emphasizes.
1. Chronological Resume Format
Also known as the standard resume writing style, the chronological resume format lists your achievements according to chronology starting with the most recent. It also provides great details about each job in the form of your job title, dates of employment and accompanying duties and responsibilities. This is the most common and widely used type of resume format.
The chronological style of writing is for you if your job history is on the same career path or very much related to the position you are applying for. The potential downside is that entries located at the top of the page usually receive more attention than those listed further down. This is an issue if you want employers to focus on positions that you have held earlier on in your career.
Emphasis:
• Your career growth and history
Who should use it:
• Individuals with working histories directly related to the job they are applying to • Job seekers who have a progressive career, with no chronological issues
2. Functional Resume Format
The second type of layout you can use is the functional format. Here, you list your accomplishments in skill clusters. Unlike the chronological format, it does not give specific details on your previous jobs, including any dates, job titles or job descriptions. The purely functional resume is not common and most employers are not familiar with them.
The focus of the function resume is on skills and responsibilities instead of chronology or timeframe. This highlights the relevant expertise you have and links them to the job you are applying to even if you have not previously held a similar job title. The downside is that they are not typically understood or preferred by employers.
Emphasis:
• Skills relevant to the job you are applying for
Who should use it:
• Recent graduates who have little or no job experience • People who stopped working and are trying to get back to the work force • Individuals who want a career change • People with long career histories who want to avoid a lengthy resume • Individuals with no definite career path or have had a very varied career
3. Combination Resume Format
The combination format incorporates elements of both the functional and chronological formats. The first page of the combination format details your skills and achievements. The second page gives a chronological listing of your job history. As such, your skills and achievements will be read first, followed by your career timeline.
This format combines the best of the two formats by focusing on relevant skills but also providing a chronological summary, which makes it more acceptable to employers than the purely functional resume. However, this format will not conceal things such as career gaps, your age, frequent job changes and the like.
Emphasis:
• Skills and achievements relevant to the job you are applying for
Who should use it:
• People who have a career history or have held jobs somewhat related to the position they are applying for • Individuals who don't have major chronological issues
The resume is the primary tool used to land a job. It reflects upon your past and, more importantly, it can indicate your future. Your resume acts as a bait to lure the big fishes. If you can write a good resume, your chances of getting hired are greatly increased.
When writing a resume, you need to take into account the specific position you are applying for. This determines how you will write your resume. People who are trying to have a career change write their resumes differently than those pursuing a job in the same career path.
There are three main types of resume formats - chronological, functional and combination. Each has its own specific advantages and emphasizes.
1. Chronological Resume Format
Also known as the standard resume writing style, the chronological resume format lists your achievements according to chronology starting with the most recent. It also provides great details about each job in the form of your job title, dates of employment and accompanying duties and responsibilities. This is the most common and widely used type of resume format.
The chronological style of writing is for you if your job history is on the same career path or very much related to the position you are applying for. The potential downside is that entries located at the top of the page usually receive more attention than those listed further down. This is an issue if you want employers to focus on positions that you have held earlier on in your career.
Emphasis:
• Your career growth and history
Who should use it:
• Individuals with working histories directly related to the job they are applying to • Job seekers who have a progressive career, with no chronological issues
2. Functional Resume Format
The second type of layout you can use is the functional format. Here, you list your accomplishments in skill clusters. Unlike the chronological format, it does not give specific details on your previous jobs, including any dates, job titles or job descriptions. The purely functional resume is not common and most employers are not familiar with them.
The focus of the function resume is on skills and responsibilities instead of chronology or timeframe. This highlights the relevant expertise you have and links them to the job you are applying to even if you have not previously held a similar job title. The downside is that they are not typically understood or preferred by employers.
Emphasis:
• Skills relevant to the job you are applying for
Who should use it:
• Recent graduates who have little or no job experience • People who stopped working and are trying to get back to the work force • Individuals who want a career change • People with long career histories who want to avoid a lengthy resume • Individuals with no definite career path or have had a very varied career
3. Combination Resume Format
The combination format incorporates elements of both the functional and chronological formats. The first page of the combination format details your skills and achievements. The second page gives a chronological listing of your job history. As such, your skills and achievements will be read first, followed by your career timeline.
This format combines the best of the two formats by focusing on relevant skills but also providing a chronological summary, which makes it more acceptable to employers than the purely functional resume. However, this format will not conceal things such as career gaps, your age, frequent job changes and the like.
Emphasis:
• Skills and achievements relevant to the job you are applying for
Who should use it:
• People who have a career history or have held jobs somewhat related to the position they are applying for • Individuals who don't have major chronological issues
How to Make Your Job Search More Successful by Improving Your Hire-Ability
Regardless of how long you've looked for a job (or how many jobs you've looked for), it's always important to do whatever you can to make yourself more hire-able. This is something you can do even if you don't have a lot of experience. So if you're ready to kick your job search into high gear, here are some tips to consider...
Start Your Own Blog
One way to make yourself hire-able in the eyes of recruiters is to start your own blog. This improves your ability to find a career in several ways. For one, your presence on the Internet will be improved, which is very important in the modern job market. Second, it helps show employers that you have knowledge in the field you're attempting to make ground in (even if you don't have experience). And third, it gives a ton of resources to offer prospective employers in the event that they ask for details about your background.
A blog is the perfect way to not only showcase your knowledge, but build knowledge as well. It's the perfect transition for those trying to switch careers, or those entering the professional world for the first time. The best part is that blogs are free to own and start through websites like Blogger, so you don't have to make an investment (other than the time you'll spend writing a few entries).
Get a LinkedIn Page
Another great way to make yourself stand out among your competition is by signing up for a LinkedIn profile. You've probably heard of this great site for professionals, but if you haven't, you're really missing out. You can create a virtual resume quite easily, giving your potential employers a quick way to find you via search engines. But you can connect with other professionals for networking purposes and have those you've worked with before give you recommendations.
Hiring managers and job recruiters will consider you a much more credible candidate if you've got a well set up LinkedIn page. If you decided to set up a blog, you can amplify this effect by linking directly to your blog from your LinkedIn page.
Obtain a Professional Email Address
If you don't already have a professional email address, now is the time to get yours. While sourapplebubblegum(at)unprofessionalemails.com might have been fine at a certain point of your life, but you need your email address to show a decent level of professionalism.
The standard route to take when choosing your professional email address is to use some variation of your name like johndoe(at)yahoo.com, jdoe(at)gmail.com or johnd(at)hotmail.com. But if you really want to look impressive, you could register a domain under your name then sign up for an email address through your own account (ex. john(at)johndoe.com). This way, you could post a quick resume on your site, point to your LinkedIn page and blog, and have the ultimate professional email address.
Sometimes it's not easy to think of ways to get your foot in the door when you don't have a great deal of experience in the field you're pursuing. But taking free or low-cost steps to build your experience beforehand could make you more hire-able then you could ever imagine.
Start Your Own Blog
One way to make yourself hire-able in the eyes of recruiters is to start your own blog. This improves your ability to find a career in several ways. For one, your presence on the Internet will be improved, which is very important in the modern job market. Second, it helps show employers that you have knowledge in the field you're attempting to make ground in (even if you don't have experience). And third, it gives a ton of resources to offer prospective employers in the event that they ask for details about your background.
A blog is the perfect way to not only showcase your knowledge, but build knowledge as well. It's the perfect transition for those trying to switch careers, or those entering the professional world for the first time. The best part is that blogs are free to own and start through websites like Blogger, so you don't have to make an investment (other than the time you'll spend writing a few entries).
Get a LinkedIn Page
Another great way to make yourself stand out among your competition is by signing up for a LinkedIn profile. You've probably heard of this great site for professionals, but if you haven't, you're really missing out. You can create a virtual resume quite easily, giving your potential employers a quick way to find you via search engines. But you can connect with other professionals for networking purposes and have those you've worked with before give you recommendations.
Hiring managers and job recruiters will consider you a much more credible candidate if you've got a well set up LinkedIn page. If you decided to set up a blog, you can amplify this effect by linking directly to your blog from your LinkedIn page.
Obtain a Professional Email Address
If you don't already have a professional email address, now is the time to get yours. While sourapplebubblegum(at)unprofessionalemails.com might have been fine at a certain point of your life, but you need your email address to show a decent level of professionalism.
The standard route to take when choosing your professional email address is to use some variation of your name like johndoe(at)yahoo.com, jdoe(at)gmail.com or johnd(at)hotmail.com. But if you really want to look impressive, you could register a domain under your name then sign up for an email address through your own account (ex. john(at)johndoe.com). This way, you could post a quick resume on your site, point to your LinkedIn page and blog, and have the ultimate professional email address.
Sometimes it's not easy to think of ways to get your foot in the door when you don't have a great deal of experience in the field you're pursuing. But taking free or low-cost steps to build your experience beforehand could make you more hire-able then you could ever imagine.
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