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February 2013

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Recruitment & Retention Beware These Job-Search No-No's Eight common sense rules that are often broken. By Jerry Randecker & Chris Sitter Hopefully no one reading this article will need this information for several years. But, because of the turbulent economic times in which we find ourselves, it is quite possible that – if not you – then someone you care about, could be helped by the following tips regarding what not to do when looking for a new job. We see a lot of resumes here at JSA. Some of them definitely contain relevant North American dealer or manufacturer experience in the construction, mining, forestry, agriculture or material handling industries. But some are from faraway lands with experience in industries that have nothing to do with the niches we serve. And that brings us to: Job Search Don't No. 1: Don't apply for positions for which you are not qualified. If you are about to submit your credentials for a specific job opportunity, take some extra moments (before sending your resume) to carefully compare your experience, skills and education to their listed desired qualifications. Job Search Don't No. 2: Spelling Errors. This might very well be the easiest job search no-no to correct. You would be amazed how many "mangers" there are at the mid- to senior-level in Corporate America. Ten to 20 extra minutes of proofing – as well as using the almighty spellcheck on your computer – could locate and eliminate these mistakes. Job Search Don't No. 3: OpenCopy E-mail Blasts. I don't know the names of the companies who are charging money to job seekers for this "service," but please be sure that if you do give anyone money to help you find a job that they do not try to "help" you in this manner. What we're talking about is when some company sends your resume to Search Firm A or Company B, and openly copies (lists) 20 to 50 other firms. I got one resume this summer that was sent to "Dear Recruiter" and open copied 39 other recruiters. Job Search Don't No. 4: Generic Subject Lines. Think hard about your subject line. Here are a few subject lines that recently entered my Inbox, and they will not help you land your dream job: "Dear executive search firm," "Resume of John Doe," and "Dear Sir or Madam." Make every word in the subject line of your e-mails count, and customize the body of your message so the reader can clearly tell it's not an e-mail blast. Job Search Don't No. 5: Don't Be a Mystery Candidate. Identify yourself. Put your first and last name on your cover letters, e-mails, and resume (yes, we've actually seen resumes without a name). Hiring authorities are busy people, and you want to make processing your candidacy (and moving it to the next steps) as easy for them as possible. Sometimes, people have an e-mail address like jt465321r@hotmail.com and they sign their e-mails "Fred." Having an easy to remember e-mail address is another way to help your hiring authority remember who you are and how to reach you. Job Search Don't No. 6: Extremely Long Resumes. If you've done much hiring, you've probably come across some of those 6- to 9-page resumes. It's my personal opinion that having such a resume could actually be helpful for you much later in the process, but to get your foot in the door, you should have a 1- or 2-page resume; one in which the reader can easily identify your skills and education and follow the progression of your career. Job Search Don't No. 7: Applying in a Location to Which You Are Not Prepared to Move. Don't waste people's time by applying for a job involving relocation if you – and your family – are not ready to uproot. Just about every hiring authority has some emotional memories of candidates who led them along, only to find out at the offer stage that they (or their spouse) actually wouldn't make the relocation. Do some soul searching and discuss it with your spouse – before you apply. Job Search Don't No. 8: Don't participate on an unprofessional or inconsistent social media page. If you have a LinkedIn profile, be sure that both your photo and words represent you in a professional light. We've probably all heard at least one story about a job seeker with a Facebook page that quickly submarined their job search efforts. Yikes! Perhaps that should move up to Don't No. 1. I hope it's many, many moons before any of you have to keep these pointers in mind. But if you do find yourself needing to consider your employment options, perhaps this little collection of Job Search Don'ts (and Do's) will come in handy. Jordan-Sitter Associates is an executive search firm focused primarily on the heavy equipment industry. Jerry Randecker and Chris Sitter can be reached at jerry@jordansitter.com, chris@jordansitter.com, or 210-651-5561. February 2013 | Construction Equipment Distribution | www.cedmag.com | 47 47_recruit & retain_KP.indd 47 1/30/13 3:18 PM

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