Original Post: Monster.com
By Dona DeZube, Monster Finance Careers Expert

If you’re working in construction, there’s a good chance you’re laboring next to someone with a criminal past. But if you’re working in the nonprofit sector, you’re more likely to be sitting next to someone who has lied about his education.

Those differences came to light when Kroll analyzed “hit ratios” for the eight most common employment screening criteria to calculate what proportion of the potential employees it screened for various industries stretched the truth or left important information off their applications.

It found that more than 51 percent of real estate industry folks had at least one late payment on their credit history, 48 percent lied about former employment and more than 40 percent had a not-so-clean driving record. In financial services, nearly 7 percent of applicants had criminal records, nearly 48 percent fudged something about former employment and 21 percent lied about their educational credentials. Those in education flunk drug testing at the highest rate, nearly 9 percent.

“Based upon the results we see, people at all levels stretch the truth,” says Barry Nadell, a senior vice president of Kroll’s Nashville-based Background Screening division.

When Embellishing Goes Too Far

Sometimes an omission can be an innocent mistake. You think you started working somewhere in March 2004 when you really began in July 2004. Other times, omissions are not so innocent. “I can’t imagine any individual who when asked, ‘Have you ever been convicted of a crime?’ not knowing if they were convicted,” Nadell says.

Everyone embellishes a bit when describing their experiences, accomplishments and achievements, just as companies embellish when they tell you how wonderful a job is going to be, says Professor Anthony Buono, coordinator of the Bentley College Alliance for Ethics and Social Responsibility.

Embellishment turns into misrepresentation when you stretch the facts beyond credibility, such as when you make up degrees or positions. “People do that because they don’t have confidence in themselves, so they want to make themselves look better,” he says. “That’s true misrepresentation of who you are, and that’s unacceptable.”

Even the smallest of lies can trip up a job hunter. “People will lie about the degree they have,” says Jason Morris, president of employeescreenIQ. “They’re going for a position in finance so they say they have a finance degree when they have a business degree.” Morris says he’ll catch that lie. “It’s very simple to check someone’s major,” he says. “We call to verify the information on the resume.”

Truth Is Power

So what’s a job seeker with bad credit, a conviction for a youthful indiscretion or a six-month employment gap to do? “My advice is always to tell the truth no matter what the stakes,” Nadell says. “Being caught in an untruth is worse than being honest. Oftentimes you can explain your situation in advance.”

Chances are your interviewer knows that poor credit can follow a divorce, that teenagers do stupid things and that people are sometimes out of work. Be ready with a contrite explanation that admits your fault in the incident, shows how you rectified the problem and then brings the conversation back to why you’re right for the current position.

If that strategy doesn’t work, seek work with a firm that doesn’t do background checks — small firms and temporary agencies are good bets. “We’re seeing more small organizations make background checks mandatory for employees, and companies of all sizes are increasingly screening temporary employees,” Nadell says. “However, some temporary agencies and smaller organizations conduct less-thorough background checks or do so when you go from temporary to permanent.”

By that time, your employer should like you and may be inclined to overlook indiscretions if you’re honest about them.

Original Post: Phil Rosenberg, reCareered.com
Yes to each and every one of those possibilities of where cool jobs are. Sure, some jobs are hidden, but most are out there. Cool jobs are everywhere but take different strategies to find them, depending on where they are found.

The first question to consider is what’s a cool job? Is it cutting edge, flexible, telecommuting, career enhancing, educational opportunities, feel good, close to home, great benefits, great pay, great boss, socially conscious, environmentally conscious, stable, executive?

Everyone has a different definition on what a cool job is, because different employees have different needs. So before you can find a cool job, you have to define what your personal cool job looks like.

After you define it, recognize that your cool job could be found most anywhere. A balanced approach to find your cool job works best.

1. Job Boards: Consider using up to 5 job boards. SimplyHired is a terrific aggregator of job boards, scraping information from 7K boards, company websites, and submissions. SimplyHired will include jobs found on CareerBuilder, Monster, Dice, and Craig’s list among many others. Regional job boards are a good place to focus in on only local jobs. Job boards from your industry association are more likely to have needs that your specific subject matter expertise can solve. Job boards covering your job function are other places that seek your expertise, and a good way to change industries. See ‘The Top 30 Job Boards For 2010‘ at http://recareered.blogspot.com/2010/02/top-30-job-boards-for-2010.html for more details.
2. Social Networks: Network, Network, Network. Update your network that you’re in active networking mode and offer to help connect others. Don’t blast spam just to ask everyone for a job. Instead, pay it forward and offer to help. You’ll be amazed how many offer to help in return when you make your network ‘Strong like bull’ http://recareered.blogspot.com/2010/07/make-your-network-links-strong-like.html.
3. In person networking: Work these, and not just the industry events. Most large cities have general networking events. Again, use a pay it forward approach to find ways to help others and build Emotional Equity. Read more about how to get many times the results over the way most people selfishly just ask ‘You know anyone who’s hiring?’ at http://recareered.blogspot.com/2010/07/achieve-enlightenment-through.html.
4. Alumni networks: Call or email your alumni office. Get lists, get listed on job boards. Call and invite everyone for coffee. You’ll have a caffeine buzz for weeks. Don’t ask for a job, ask to learn more about what made someone a success at their company – people love to brag about themselves. Dig deeper to learn about goals, issues, roadblocks and problems at their company - problems that you can solve. Talk about how you are in networking mode, and ask how you can help…paying it forward works with alumni also. Read more about successful informational interview strategies at http://recareered.blogspot.com/2010/08/bringing-your-resume-to-informational.html.
5. Recruiters: Work with the right recruiters. Work with a recruiter that is honest, who’s company has lots of listings in your field. Work with senior recruiters who know their stuff. Offer help to the recruiter, with the best recruiter currency you have. Knowledge, leads, jobs, networking, other candidates….these are all recruiter currency. To learn more about how to maximize a recruiters effectiveness for you, see http://recareered.blogspot.com/2010/03/inside-track-on-recruiters-top-10-tips.html.
Cool jobs lie everywhere….

Readers, please share - Where are you looking for yours?

Original Post: How to Diagnose Where You Might Be Going Wrong
By John Rossheim, Monster Senior Contributing Writer
Your resume has earned you interviews with several employers over the past year. That’s impressive, especially in this economy.

But none of those interviews has yielded a job offer. You’ve done the standard interview preparation. You’ve shown up on time and dressed in appropriate interview attire. But somewhere between the paper credentials and the live performance, you’ve failed to deliver.

Perhaps yours is a failure of imagination. Have you taken the time and trouble to imagine what your interviewers’ needs are, and the specific business problems their companies need you to solve? If you haven’t done so in-depth, it’s time to start.

But before you face the formidable challenge of thinking like your interviewer and her CEO, try taking on the perspective of a lesser intellect: a fly on the wall.

See What the Camera Sees

If you start by reimagining your interview preparation as a rehearsal for a performance, you’re already giving yourself a new chance to succeed.

“The best way for job seekers to improve upon their interviewing skills is through practice,” says Laurie Davis, director of counseling and programming at Yeshiva University’s Career Development Center. “A mock interview with a career counselor or HR professional will help them learn how they might better their performance.”

The next step is to make a video of your mock interview and review it with a professional who will not just tell you what you did wrong, but also give you ideas for improving your performance, whether by making better eye contact and leaning slightly toward the interviewer, speaking more directly and concisely, or putting your story forward more positively.

Seeing and hearing yourself literally from another angle, even if only on a brief video created with a PC or digital camera, will give you a much better sense of the dramatic effect of your responses on the interviewer. For example, “when you get those questions about strengths and weaknesses, answer the weaknesses question first — maybe including a little humor — and then finish on a high note with your strengths,” says consultant and executive coach Debra Benton.

What Matters to the Interviewer

As you approach an interview, consider how your manner and words will affect the interviewer’s state of mind.

“Be socially generous,” says Ann Demarais, author of First Impressions: What You Don’t Know About How Others See You. “Make the interviewer feel smart, talented, accomplished.”

Don’t make the mistake of letting the interview become a one-way question-and-answer session, which is bound to be too much about you and not enough about the
interviewer. “Always get the interviewer talking,” says Stephen Balzac, president of management consultancy 7 Steps Ahead. “Ask them about their concerns, issues and goals. Then respond with relevant, brief vignettes about your accomplishments in previous jobs.”

And recognize that if you come into the interview with an elephant shackled to your ankle — namely, unemployment or a long resume gap — the interviewer will notice and be distracted by it. “The job seeker needs to proactively explain why they’ve been out of the job market,” says John Robak, COO of engineering firm Greeley and Hansen and an HR manager of long experience.

The Employer’s Perspective

Finally, keep in mind that your abilities have no absolute value to the employer; they’re only worth what they can do for the employer this year. “Sometime candidates don’t prepare to talk about the match: how their background and skills align with what the company is looking for,” Robak says.

To force yourself into each employer’s perspective, come up with good interview questions customized to the challenges the company faces right now. At the same time, remember that your questions show a lot about how you think. “You get hired by the questions you ask,” Benton says.

What if the elephant of a job loss or resume gap isn’t the only silent distraction in the room? You’ll never know unless you ask the interviewer on the spot.

“Close an interview by asking if the interviewer feels there are any gaps left unaddressed, so you can discuss them,” says Kim Lockhart, a regional vice president with Spherion Staffing. “If you aren’t selected, see if the recruiter or hiring manager will provide feedback,” she suggests.

Though they have been around for years, advertising networks recently reached a pinnacle in terms of customer demand and market trends. This popularity has top sales professionals not only flocking to these positions but also giving in to the temptation of the lucrative deals being dangled before them by recruiters seeking to steal the best and the brightest to staff their client companies.

Unfortunately, many of these job-hopping ad network pros may soon discover that multiple positions in this hot niche don’t look so hot on their resumes. They may have been aggressively recruited to those greener pastures, but by quickly deserting one opportunity in favor of another they are demonstrating a lack of loyalty and dedication – and are missing the chance to build a track record of success that sets them apart from the pack.

Similar to an online public relations agency, ad networks give companies extensive market reach for a fraction of the cost compared to buying advertisements directly from each online outlet. That is because ad networks allow media buyers to efficiently coordinate ad campaigns across multiple websites. This, in turn, allows ad buyers to reach broad online audiences easily through run-of-category and run-of-network buys.

While opportunities abound in this market, sales professionals should consider their options carefully before jumping ship. With 80% of candidates in the ad network environment labeled as “fluid job hoppers,” it is a trend that is reminiscent of the rapid turnover of software sales pros during that industry’s boom.

The software boom ended and many stars found themselves all but unemployable because of their spotty track records and lack of company or customer loyalty.

That is why ad network sales representatives should learn from their software counterparts’ mistakes and be wary about jumping at every new opportunity. When the boom ends, they’ll find themselves competing – mostly unsuccessfully – with those few true professionals who stayed the course at their existing companies and took the time to nurture long-term relationships.

Thus my advice to all ad network sales professionals is: slow down! Don’t let your ego drive your career into the ground. Instead, stay the course at your existing organization and learn to grow your and their revenue. By acquiring long-term success, you will establish a track record that will ultimately advance your career.

I also have some advice for companies seeking to hire top ad network sales talent. Despite the high percentage of job hoppers, there are true professionals out there. The best way to find them is to partner with a recruitment firm that has a proven track record of success in this niche market. The best firms will not only vet out job hoppers but will also make sure they match the right professional with the client organization’s needs.

By Andrew Klappholz
Original post: The Ladders
Want to land a sales job and start on the right foot? Be ready to explain how you’ll move the numbers in the first months.

If you work in sales at the manager level or above, you should be prepared to hear the question from a hiring manager on a job interview; he wants to know what your 30-, 60- and 90-day plans are to build a new sales territory, halt a customer exodus or improve revenue. Be ready to deliver your plan and back it with data, said Kathleen Steffey, CEO and founder of Naviga Services, a Tampa, Fla., recruiting and staffing agency that specializes in marketing and sales roles.

“We highly recommend it for candidates, especially in the final stages of the interview,” she said. “It shows them, ‘I’ve thought about this.’ ” In any field where revenue is at stake, if the hiring team sees someone who’s prepared and appears ready to enhance revenue right away, they’ll be more likely to offer that person the job.

Dan, a medical-supplies salesman from the Midwest and a SalesLadder member who asked that his full name not be used, used the tactic to his advantage on a recent job interview for a diagnostic-services company. He said the business plan he put together for his interview showed the hiring manager that he had done his homework and was familiar with the company, its products and the market.

“I did the back research and found out what types of jobs I’ll be going on,” Dan said. “They were mainly concerned about ‘what you can do for me’ in terms of revenue.”

Dan provided the potential employer with a detailed account of a sales territory, citing specific numbers of how many doctors and medical groups are in an area; he said his planning not only impressed the hiring manager, but it also prepared him to do the job.
In sales, it takes time to develop contacts and strengthen relationships, so business plans should reflect that maturation as it develops over periods of 30, 60 and 90 days. Dan said his plan was realistic and obtainable – major factors in its effectiveness – “targeting smaller accounts initially and larger ones in the 60- and 90-day period.”

Generic is garbage

The plan doesn’t need to be a 100-page briefing on every factor facing the company’s sales strategy and every data point down to the penny. It can be a simple PowerPoint presentation attached to an e-mail. Nevertheless, you must include a summary that proves you’re capable of making money for the company.

Such presentations are a platform to show the hiring manager how seriously you’re taking the opportunity, Steffey said.

While you can find business-plan templates online, there’s no auto-fill application that allows you to demonstrate your prowess with the click of a button.

Naviga Services’ Steffey stresses that these reports need to be as unique and informative as possible − considering trends and market conditions. The more it speaks to the hiring manager’s needs, the more effective it is, she said.

“It can’t be general. It has to be crafted for the particular employer,” she said. “If it’s general, it’s garbage.”

“That’s a turnoff when they see something generic,” Dan agreed. “If it matches up with their values, that’s what you have to base the business plan around.”

Frustrated by unemployment?

Job hunting is tricky business. Getting hired is a subtle mix of the right qualifications, enough experience, interview chemistry, and a dash of luck. Assuming you’re making all the right moves and avoiding the really obvious job seeker mistakes, there are a few points to consider that could be your ticket out of unemployment.

Sales HQ suggests getting out of your job search rut and back in the game by fixing these mistakes you might be making.

By Kim Lankford, Monster Contributing Writer

Here’s a secret: Employers rarely make their best offer first, and job candidates who negotiate generally earn much more than those who don’t. And a well-thought-out negotiation makes you look like a stronger candidate — and employee.

“We found that those people who attempted to negotiate their salary in a constructive way are perceived as more favorable than those who didn’t negotiate at all, because they were demonstrating the skills the company wanted to hire them for,” says Robin Pinkley, coauthor of Get Paid What You’re Worth and an associate professor of strategy and entrepreneurship at Southern Methodist University’s Cox School of Business.

You can start laying the groundwork for your salary negotiation even before the first interview. Here’s a step-by-step guide:

During the Interview Process

• Do Your Research: Before the interview, learn about the company’s salary ranges and benefits as well as industry salary ranges. Also learn about the company, its competition and the industry. Then think about what you want from the job, both in terms of salary and benefits, as well as opportunity and upward mobility, Pinkley says. This information will become valuable during the interview and salary negotiation.
• Don’t Talk Turkey Too Early: “You never win by talking about money early on,” says Lee Miller, author of UP: Influence, Power and the U Perspective — The Art of Getting What You Want. “The time to talk about money is when they’ve fallen in love with you.” Before that, you’re just one of many easily dismissed candidates. But once the employer has decided you’re right for the job, “it becomes an issue of, ‘how are we going to make this happen?’” Miller says.
• Avoid the Salary Requirements Trap: Pinkley tells people to say: “I completely understand why this is an important issue — you’re trying to determine who you want to continue in this process, and it doesn’t make much sense to pursue candidates you aren’t going to get. Secondly, I know that the tendency is for people to lowball their salary range, because they don’t want to get out of the pool. My preference is to figure out, independent of these issues, the degree to which there is a good fit here and the extent to which I can bring value to this organization and the extent to which I’m going to be fulfilled and involved and committed to this position. I suggest we wait to have the salary conversation until you’re prepared to make an offer.”

  If they still want a number, leverage your research to talk industry-standard ranges, not specific numbers.

At Time of Offer

• Strike First: Try to mention a specific salary before the employer does. This will start the negotiations in your ballpark. “The whole negotiation is based on that first offer,” Pinkley says.
• Don’t Commit Too Quickly: The employer often offers the job and salary simultaneously. Never say yes right away — even if you like the offer. “I would always come back and try to get more,” Pinkley says. Tell them you’ll give them an answer within a certain time frame.
• Make Them Jealous: If you’ve been interviewing for other jobs, call those prospective employers, tell them about your offer, and see if they can speed up the interview process — or make you an offer. Knowing you have another offer will make you more attractive to them.

  When it’s time to answer the first employer, mention the other employers’ interest to help boost your value. But don’t make up offers. It’s easy to check, and the interest alone will help you look good.

• Articulate Your Expectations: Tell the employer what you want from the job, in terms of salary, benefits and opportunity. “It may be time off, flexibility about where you work, autonomy or ownership over a particular area, it may be your title — whatever has a perceived value to you,” says Joyce Gioia, president of the Herman Group, a think tank of management consultants and futurists.
• Negotiate Extras: If the employer can’t offer you the salary you want, think about other valuable options that might not cost as much. Miller always recommends asking for education, which can make a big difference in your long-term marketability.
• Quantify Your Value and Performance: Mention your value in quantifiable terms, such as how much money you saved your company and how your projects increased revenues by X thousands of dollars, Gioia says. Then tell them specifically how valuable you expect to be in your new job.

  You also can add a few contingencies showing your confidence in your performance. You could ask the employer to give you a salary review after six months rather than a year or for a year-end bonus if you make a certain amount of money. “It shows that you believe in yourself and are committed to bringing what you say you can do,” Pinkley says. “You believe you are going to bring significant value to the organization.

Geoff  Alexander shares the story of a successful sales professional that took one of his inside sales training courses. Here’s what Allison has to say about preparing for a Sales Job Interview:

When you get asked out for a date, wouldn’t you want to know who you’re dating, what the person is like and how much fun you think you’ll have?  With the internet as your tool, you can easily find the answers to these questions on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Podcasts and Google searches.  It is no different for a job interview.  You can use these sites to mine company and personnel information.  Knowing the answers to these questions about a company and the people you will be interviewing with will have you prepared and possibly close the interview as well.  Do your homework!

Read all of Allison’s interview preparation suggestions here.

By Kim Isaacs, Monster Resume Expert -Origional Post -Monster.com

No matter what field you’re in, a successful career is built on human relationships. Your job search will be much more effective if you connect with and expand your network of contacts rather than just respond to job ads. Thousands of positions are created and filled without ever being advertised. A networking letter will help you uncover these hidden job opportunities.

What Is a Networking Letter?

This job-hunting tool lets you reach out to friends, friends of friends and professional contacts, asking for job leads, career advice, referrals and introductions. The letter’s focus is not to ask your contacts for a job, but to request their assistance in your job search by connecting you with people or opportunities.

Who to Target?

To tap into your network and create job leads, consider all these sources: friends, your spouse or significant other’s friends, current or former coworkers and supervisors, professionals you have met through online networking sites, associations (alumni, civic and professional organizations), clergy, nonprofit organizations, customers/clients, vendors, teachers and classmates.

You may even consider distant acquaintances as part of your networking campaign — someone you met at a lecture, trade show or seminar might be willing to assist you. Or someone you have met online through professional networking sites.

The Fundamentals

Be Friendly: The tone of a networking letter is casual and professional.

If you don’t know the person well or it’s been awhile since you last spoke, refresh his memory in the first paragraph:

Dear Mr. Jones:

I attended your “Effective Merchandising Techniques” presentation last Friday and introduced myself to you following your lecture. Your speech was very informative, and your examples were extremely enlightening; I left with a number of new ideas.

If you know the person you are writing to well, you should punctuate your opening with a comma instead of a colon for a warmer, less formal tone:

Dear Ginger,

I am in the process of a job change following my former employer’s Chapter 11 filing. I am writing to college friends whose opinions, insights and advice I value.

Have a Message: To be effective, a networking letter must do more than communicate that you are job searching. It needs to provide a brief summary of key strengths you bring to the table and include a few examples of ways you benefited your employers — such as saving money, generating revenue, increasing efficiency and improving service.

Respect the Reader’s Time: Be concise. Your reader is busy and doing you a favor — don’t drone on and on. Whether you are looking for job leads or seeking professional advice, be positive and upbeat in your letter. Ask for the reader’s help, showcase your strengths and express your thanks.

Ask for Leads and Information: Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Here’s an example:

I would be very grateful for your review of my enclosed resume. If you know of anyone who might be looking for someone with my background, please contact me at (555) 555-5555. Or if you have any suggestions as to where I should direct my search, I would appreciate your input and advice.

Keep Networking: Keep in touch with your network of contacts, even when you are not searching for a job. If someone has helped you, express your gratitude and return the favor if possible. Your diligence in using networking letters will pay off in your current and future job search.

Wondering which questions you’ll be asked during your job interview? You should expect the usual ones, such as “Where do you see yourself in five years?” and “What’s your greatest weakness?” But then there are more colorful questions, such as “What animal best describes you?” and “If you were stranded on a desert island, what three items would you want to have with you?” that you should brace yourself for.
Regardless of what questions get thrown your way, Sales HQ explores the handful of interview questions you should never be asked. Be aware — questions about subjects in these categories violate your rights.