Marta Goertzen

A simple trick to get you noticed by recruiters

December 14, 2020 By Marta Goertzen

We talk a lot about keywords.

Sometimes I wonder if you really know what I am talking about. I just worked on a resume and LinkedIn profile that are truly wonderful and present a wonderful example to share with you.

My keyword analysis for this resume and LinkedIn profile has the greatest density I’ve ever encountered!

This client, Dave, is a highly technical systems developer. His resume is longer than a normal resume because it is important to delineate the technology used and the results achieved. Normal resumes would not be this long. But Dave’s LinkedIn profile is not different from your profile. He has the same opportunities and space to share his information as you do.

Check out what Dave has done with this LinkedIn space! His top five keywords appear in his LinkedIn profile the following times:

Develop (76), Tech (55), Design (50), Application (46) and Analysis (45)

Unbelievable! I don’t think my LinkedIn profile is that dense, although I work hard on keyword density because I want people looking for a job search coach to find me. I wasn’t sure so I counted. Here are how many times my top five keywords appear in my LinkedIn profile.

Job (83), Search (51), Interview (50), Career (45), Coach (38)

See? Dave has me beat! And I am a professional!!

Do you think Dave’s profile will get noticed? You bet it will. In fact, he reports that recruiters are crawling all over him.

This makes perfect sense, doesn’t it? Recruiters and hiring managers are attracted to the LinkedIn profiles that have the most important keywords reflected in the highest density.

Compare Dave’s keyword density to another client of mine, Ray, and check out his LinkedIn keywords.

Ray has had a frustrating job search. No one seems to notice him. Here is how frequently his top keywords appear in his LinkedIn profile:

Sustain (22), Green (12), Data (12), Service (10, Customer (8)

No one is finding Ray’s LinkedIn profile. His keywords do not appear frequently enough to get anyone’s attention. Dave will get a job much faster than Ray even discounting the different industries and professions simply because Dave will be found and Ray will remain quietly floundering away.

By the way, notice we haven’t talked about resumes? These days the resume is less important in your job search. It can only be viewed by a machine at one company at a time in response to your submission to a job posting. That is much less efficient than having a fully optimized LinkedIn profile that anyone can find at any time by using those keywords critical to the job you want.

Does your LinkedIn profile reflect a high density of your keywords? Please count and let me know below. Who can beat Dave’s keyword density?

Are you looking to use LinkedIn more effectively for a job search?

LinkedIn can no longer be ignore in the job search process. It is a known fact many recruiters use LinkedIn as a main part of their recruiting process and this means you NEED to understand how to use LinkedIn when search for a new job.

Click here to purchase your eBook today for only $9!

How to prepare for a job interview

December 7, 2020 By Marta Goertzen

Has this ever happened to you? You get invited to a job interview for your dream job.

You’ve been busy so you don’t give preparation much thought. After all, they want you. The interview takes a disastrous turn about ten minutes into the discussion when it is very clear you have no idea why you are there.

Ooops! Should have prepared!

Check out this cringe worthy moment in Gilmore Girls, A Year in the Life, when Rory was unprepared for the job interview. A total waste of an opportunity and completely avoidable with a little preparation. Heck, the character spends more time selecting an outfit (the wrong outfit too) than she does thinking about what she wants to say.

Naturally Rory blows the opportunity. We will never be sure if this was the right opportunity or not because she messed up so badly.

Whatever your point of reference, just know that it takes a little preparation, a little advanced thinking, to shine at an interview.

Here are some tips:

Know what you want them to know about you. You only have 30 to 60 minutes to demonstrate why you should have this job. Winnow down your information into a concise format that applies directly to the position at hand.

Be strategic about how you can solve their problem. Every company has a problem. Every position has a goal of solving some problem. Part of your preparation should include some consideration of how you can solve some problem they are grappling with.

Have clear answers prepared. Avoid that “deer in the headlights” look by designing solid answers to the frequently asked questions that are sure to come up. We have a list of 30 Frequently Asked Questions on our website for your use.

Prepare your job interview stories. Stories are a powerful way to make a great impression in a job interview but stories seldom come out correctly off the top of your head. It requires some advanced thought.

Get a coach for an outside opinion. You serve yourself well to engage a qualified interview coach to give you unbiased feedback. An interview coach can listen to your responses and suggest ways to improve your presentation to support your overall goals.

Naturally, I think The Interview Doctor offers the best interview preparation out there. After all, the company is named for our interview preparation expertise! Our clients get the job offer!

Take Control of your Future

So you want to find a new job but you are not sure where to start?

It all seems so complicated…but it doesn’t have to be.

A good job search takes organization, networking, and most of all, a plan. This workbook will help you take control of your job search and your future, using expertise we at The Interview Doctor have accumulated over many years in human resources and in our own personal job searches.

You will learn many tips about changing your job and finding the right job for you. We think writing your thoughts down is critical to understanding and expressing what you want. People who cannot express what they want take a long time to get a job that they might not even like.

Purchase your eBook today for only $9!

Job Search Tip: How to Make Your Resume Concise and Clear

November 30, 2020 By Marta Goertzen

Learn how to make your resume concise and clear so that you’re confident in what you’re putting out there.

Katherine Burik is a Job Search / Career Coach and, in this video, she shares advice and tips on how to feel confident with your resume.

For more information on how to create a concise and clear resume that you can be proud of, check out this guide, “How to Avoid the Top 5 Mistakes with Resumes.”

Why is networking so important in a job search?

November 23, 2020 By Marta Goertzen

Networking. The word gives people the shivers.

My clients tell me, “Do I have to?” “I will try” and on occasion I have heard, “Katherine, I believe you, but I must tell you I cannot do that.”

Networking can be hard for some people. Quiet people like me. I often say I would rather pick up dog poop from the front yard than make a cold call to someone I do not know well. At a large party, I will be the one in the corner nursing a drink and watching the action.

Nevertheless, it is a fact that you are more likely to find a job through networking than through the job posting process. The statistics are staggering. You have about a 4% to 9% chance of getting a job through a job posting. Someone is getting the job, but it is likely NOT you. You have a 60% to 80% chance of getting a job through networking with someone you already know or someone you meet through a networking process.

Those odds make it imperative that every job seeker network with people they know and possibly with people they do not know…yet.

Everything can be a networking experience. A professional association meeting? A religious or social event? Communicating on social media? Yup, all networking experiences if you reach out to talk to someone. It could be someone you know or someone you are meeting for the first time.

Here are some reasons why you should network as a job seeker and in general:

Target people you know. They probably already like you and are likely to help you find a new gig or open doors to opportunities you did not know existed.
Networking separates yourself from the crowd of resumes – your competition. Although most people get jobs from networking, most people are reluctant networkers. If you can get out there and talk to people, you will find more opportunities.
You can learn a lot about the company and, in general, from talking to current and former employees.
Talk pro to pro with colleagues about topics important in your profession and industry these days. This changes your job search relationship from begging for attention to colleagues.
If you build relationships, people will trust you more and start to imagine you in the next office.
Gives you a forum for curiosity. Ask questions. If you ask good questions, then the other guy gets to talk, taking the burden off you. Networking will be easier when you ask good questions that get the other person talking.

It is easy to intellectually understand you should network in a job search. It is much harder to put the idea into action. But the benefits far outweigh the pain. We have plenty of tricks to make networking more palatable.

Does Networking to find a Job terrify you?

Networking is your single best job search weapon. But “networking” is a misunderstood concept. Most people incorrectly think having a bunch of LinkedIn connections is sufficient. Networking can be so much more, if you know the correct techniques.

This course includes Six (6) Videos are included with the workbook and shares tips on effective networking, turning vague concepts into a reality that anyone can successfully implement to find their next job.

Get the workbook and video lessons now for $37.

How to use LinkedIn to find the job you want

November 16, 2020 By Marta Goertzen

If you are a functioning professional these days, you likely have a LinkedIn profile.

Perhaps it contains a list of your jobs and your education. Maybe you have some or even a lot of contacts. You might have a few recommendations. That is a great start.

But to find a job with LinkedIn, you must create a robust LinkedIn profile that pushes you to the front of the line. You want to be found, not just exist on LinkedIn. You want a LinkedIn profile that demonstrates your personal brand and advocates for your candidacy while you are sleeping!

Here are some tips to use LinkedIn to find a job:

Optimize your LinkedIn profile. Make sure your profile uses words that hiring managers will use to describe your ideal job, increasing the chances you will be found by folks looking for someone exactly like you.
Personalize your profile so it expresses your personal brand. Your profile should not be a static document stuffed with only facts. Include accomplishments. Make it personal by sharing a bit of who you are so you attract people who might like to work with you.
Get good number of connections. Be sure your connections include people you know from work and your personal who know you well. Look up former co-workers who might have landed at other companies, perhaps in influential roles. Be sure you connect with them to rekindle conversations.
Build relationships. Don’t just use LinkedIn as a huge electronic Rolodex. Talk to the people you know and find out about their lives and challenges. Make new connections at your target companies then talk to them professional to professional about topics interesting to the other person. Don’t focus so much on your job search. You are more than your job search. You are an interesting person with opinions and experiences that you can share to help other people. That is how you build strong relationships!
Research companies. Find and talk to new people to expand network and increase opportunities. Use LinkedIn to research companies to discover who might be a hiring manager or peer or in your target department, then start conversations with them to build relationships. You can learn a lot about a company from the LinkedIn profiles.
Learn and grow. Take advantage of learning opportunities from other people, training opportunities through LinkedIn Training, and learning from SlideShare.

LinkedIn offers the opportunity to connect with people you know and don’t know yet. The more you leverage this powerful tool, the faster you will find a new job.

If you have no idea what I mean, then we need to talk. The Interview Doctor offers many ways to improve your LinkedIn profile then use LinkedIn for job search. Check out the free training program, How to Use LinkedIn to get the Job You Want.

ARE YOU LOOKING TO USE LINKEDIN MORE EFFECTIVELY FOR A JOB SEARCH?

LinkedIn can no longer be ignored in the job search process.

It is a known fact many recruiters use LinkedIn as a main part of their recruiting process.
This means you NEED to understand how to use LinkedIn when searching for a new job.

Click here to buy your copy for only $9.