The Unscary Job Hunt

Monsters and ghosts are scary.  The job hunt should not be. Planning your search for a job is perhaps the most important part to succeeding.  Oftentimes, this vital component is overlooked in the haste to post your online resume and respond to recruiting agents' and employers' listings and emails without properly customizing your resume and without sticking to your defined ideal job aspects. We all know the saying, "Haste makes waste."  There is so much truth in this statement and it bears emphasizing.  Let's breakdown the job hunt into easy, manageable tasks that will benefit you by cutting down on time and effort wasted.

• Define your ideal job.  Go ahead and list the important criteria for your next job.  But beware. Just like buying a house or finding the ideal relationship, it is nearly impossible to find a job that will satisfy 10 different aspects that you would like in your next job.  For instance, your "wishlist" may include a short commute time and a normal workweek of set hours as well as a host of other must-haves.  You will want to prioritize these criteria and create a "top 5" list as well as the 1-3 job aspects that you simply will not negotiate on, such as location.  This will serve to keep your job search organized and not have you spinning around applying to every job posting when you really would not want that job if you got it.
  
  
• Create your online job profile. Technology is wonderful because now, when you upload your resume into a company's online job site, their software will automatically fill in the application fields.  Most of the time, it requires only a little tweaking on your part to correct some fields or enter more information into fields, such as salary history and expectations as well as location preference.  Make the most of your online job profile by filling in all the fields completely and without abbreviating, as the database contains hundreds if not thousands of applicants and searches are often conducted by searching keywords from these very fields. 
  
  
• Peruse an online job site's tools. From salary guides to negotiation strategies to interview tips, one of the best partners in your job search is the use of these tools.
  
  
• Customize your resume. Let's go back to the second bullet point for a minute.  General job sites, like Monster, are wonderful sites for comprehensive job listings and tools.  The companies and recruiting agents that post listings on these sites may have you apply through their own website, however.  This is where your defined job criteria list comes in handy.  After you have selected a number of jobs that you would consider, it is time to thoroughly read those job descriptions and then customize your resume to that particular position.  This need not be tedious work if it is organized.  During a recession, you are understandably more flexible than during normal market conditions, and will therefore be applying to many more jobs out of your desired range. Applying this technique is equally important then to getting you a job in a tough market. 
  
  
• Organize your job hunt wardrobe. Have at least two interview-ready suits hanging in your closet with a protective layer over them.  Polished shoes and appropriate accessories are just as vital to your presentation.  Always be ready to interview at a moment's notice. 
  
  
• Meeting with recruiting agents. Develop a relationship with your agent(s).  They meet hundreds of applicants and in order to keep your resume on top of the heap of other resumes, keep in touch with your agent on a weekly basis.  When an agent contacts you about your online resume, they may or may not have a specific job listing to consider you for at the time. This is your opportunity to establish a relationship and maintain regular contact providing an updated resume from time to time should your skillset increase (by taking a class, for instance).  Treat a meeting with an agent like an interview, dress up!
  
  
• The art of communication. Always follow up with a thank you note (via email is fine) thanking the interviewer for his or her valuable time. This is like the post-cover letter where you get to emphasize a skillset that you might not have pinpointed on during the meeting with your agent or interview with a prospective employer. 

A job hunt is a job in itself.  Preparation and planning are necessary to an efficient and organized search.   Taking the time in the beginning of a job search to organize yourself will lead to less headache down the road.

Win 'Em Over! Get Hired!: Job Interviews That Produce Job Offers

Be Hunted! 12 Secrets to Getting on the Headhunter's Radar Screen 

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Book Summaries Are a Smart Way to Get Ahead

You or your boss could become avid readers of business books without the amount of time it takes to actually read the whole book.  Book summaries can have you reading up on all the latest business books on the market in order to keep up with new business and management challenges.  These books, in turn, make great client gifts.

With topics ranging from leadership to marketing and small business, reading book summaries is beneficial to someone with a hectic schedule.  Even as your boss is on a plane to London for a company or client meeting, they could be reading book summaries and still catch up on other important reading material. Getting the summary in different formats is also an efficient way for your manager to read.  Instead of the print format which could weigh your manager down with materials, consider the CD or online format.  Take the green initiative with these formats.  Read a sample summary here.

Popular titles such as, Profit From the Core and the best-selling Good to Great, are lengthy and analytical.  They can take a while to get through. Get just the titles your manager is interested in or get a subscription (current special offer: Get 5 free summaries).

These are also great learning tools for the administrative assistant on a career track.  You will sound more intelligent, increase your business vocabulary, and spark up a lively conversation with colleagues and clients, thereby establishing rapport.  There are hundreds of titles to choose from.

Special coupon: Enter SAVE20 to take $20 off a 2-year subscription (ends 10/31/09)

NEW COUPON (EXP 11/30/09) Enter SAVE15 to take $15 off ANY one-year subscription!

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Business Writing Basics for Administrative Assistants

As is typical, your skills as an Administrative Assistant are weighed at the end of the year during your performance review.  It is noted in your meeting which skills you improved on, which new skills you acquired, and which you should continue to build.  One of those skills is likely to be business writing which entails drafting of correspondence, composing emails (e.g., to senior management on behalf of your boss, to clients and vendors), and creating PowerPoint presentations to name a few.  There are some basic tips you can follow to enhance this skill so vital in business communication.

In the rush of the moment, it's easy to send off a lengthy email without taking a few minutes to look it over and read it quietly to yourself for correctness, clarity, and tone.  Spelling mistakes are not always caught by the system's spellchecker, e.g., "their" versus "there" versus "they're."  Make sure your sentences are closed with either a period or a question mark.  Usage of exclamation points should be strictly limited, especially in the workplace.  Beware of semicolons that might result in a run-on sentence.  It's best to just steer clear of these.

Take note about the tone of the piece.  If, after reading it aloud to yourself (quietly, though), a sentence sounds harsh or demanding, revise it.  Should such a tone be warranted, it's best to let the boss change it up to reflect it.  As an Administrative Assistant representing your manager, it's your job to consistently be tactful and diplomatic in all your communications, written and verbal.  Try not to use words such as "really," "always," and "never."  They serve little purpose and do not add much to the message.

Vocabulary and usage in business is another area with which to be cautious.  In particular, it is wise to stay away from cliches, e.g., get one's feet wet, food for thought, too little too late.  You get the idea.  Especially in today's global marketplace, it is critical to keep the lines of communication open and flowing by avoiding phrases that might not be understood by a client or representative of your global company from another country.  Similarly, in writing as in speech, it is important to apply caution to the proper use of political correctness.  It has been overstated but it bears emphasizing.  There is no easier way to disrupt the flow of positive and forward communications by incorrectly referring to someone or something.

These tips may or may not come across as redundant to you.  However, we could all use a reminder during our busy workday that crafting a superior written document is as important as meeting a deadline to submit said document.  The consequences of missing a step in either one could be substantial.  At the end of the year, during performance reviews, these factors are taken into account by your manager.  You will either be revered as a careful employee who takes attention to detail to a heightened level or you will be asked to improve upon this skill.  This is the perfect time to invest in yourself, both on a professional and personal level.

What other business writing tips did I miss?

Communication Secrets to Change Your Life

Administrative Assistant and Secretary's Handbook  

Microsoft® Office PowerPoint® 2007 Step by Step 

The Business Style Handbook  

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