Tuesday, February 23, 2010

T.A.P. Q#444 – My Employer Doesn’t Support Networking Events

Dear Experts,

Should I hesitate with participating in my industry’s networking events and conferences because the company I work for does not support them?

Also if I do go, do I still mention my company’s name or do I just go representing myself? I really want to expand my reach in the industry. I want to know industry-wide things rather than being boxed up with only what my company’s view of the industry is.

Dear employee:

Attending networking events, whether on a personal level, or to represent your employer can pay off in dividends. At the very least, attending a networking opportunity is an investment in yourself.

Even though it may not seem so, your employer, ultimately, will appreciate that you have represented the company in a positive light.

Remember, no job is permanent, so take advantage of leveraging your contacts at all times!

Best wishes,

Melissa Martin, bilingual career coach and ebook author, How to use social media in your job search
http://www.careercoachingbyphone.com/

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Monday, February 22, 2010

7 steps to using the power of intuition in your job search

7 steps to using the power of intuition in your job search


Have you had that experience pf suddenly having a huge hunch that something is about to happen, and to your surprise, that intuition was eventually translated into reality?

When you feel strongly about something without logical basis to it, that's called intuition. It comes in three impressions: clairvoyance or "the third eye", sensing clearly and feeling through listening.

Intuition, in the context of career planning or job searching is often undervalued or dismissed in Western culture. This is regrettable, because intuition often serves as a superior way to make a career decision. Using a behavioural model, revert back to a time when your intuition was calling you to do something or to not something. Did you let the intuition pass by without realizing the consequences? For example, did you accept a less satisfying job, while suppressing your inner intuition? What was the result? Probably unsatisfactory!

In Western culture, we emphasize, quite naturally, the rational mind coming up with ideas. In contrast, when we engage in our inutitive abilities, magic happens. Our logical, "rational" minds relax and allow ideas to flow. Then solutions appear....

Grace Cirocco, author of Take the step: The Bridge will be there, embraces intuition as inner source which has "saved lives, discovered cures and made people rich."

Regrettably, some Westerners minimize intuitionm in favour of logical or rational decisions. By contrast, what happens when we tap into intuition? Important information appears before us that we need to know, before we make decisions.

Clairvoyance occurs when your eye goes beyond what it can see. In other words, you know what is happening somewhere. For example, we may receive messages in pictures, symbols, colours, dreams and visions. Or you may experience a movie that "plays in your mind" that is intended to give you information.

Clairsentience is Sensing clearly or what we refer to as "hunch" or a "gut feeling." Think of when you are feeling overwhelmed and you can't explain it. Your response may be, " don't know why, it just seems like the right thing to do." (Notice that I am using the present tense as much as possible. Living in the moment, has a natural affinity with intuition, which relies upon the present moment).

On the other hand, "clairaudience," listening between the lines. Intuition also happens at times when a certain sound, such as a song in your head or a voice outside your ear, which ushers in an intense feeling.


They say only a number of people are gifted with intuition. Astrologers even insist that people born under the Scorpio (me!) or Pisces signs are naturally intuitive. However numerous studies claim that anyone can develop intuition. I believe this is true based on two reasons: having sought advice from an intuitive consultant for over three years and the power of the mind to unleash intuition as a noble, decision making tool. (Just ask career expert Cathy Goodwin, www.cathygoodwin.com)

Why the need to develop intuition, you ask? Intuition also makes you far more creative, Intuition means releasing more creative juices for any means of expression. Lastly, intuition has a healing power. This healing power delves deeply into your soul to eradicate negative energy. For example, are you still harbouring anger or hurt from a layoff or dismissal? Do not allow this negative energy to fester, otherwise it will totally impair your job search!

Are you ready to develop your intuition? Here are some ways to unlock this gift (not everyone is bestowed with this):

1. Hypnosis

Oh yes, get yourself hypnotized. Hypnosis is not limited to watching a pendulum move back and forth. Perform self-hypnosis or you can avail of hypnotic programs that can strengthen your intuition.

2. Meditation

Meditating means finding peace in yourself. If your mind and heart are cluttered with too much baggage and or self-defeating thoughts, you will not be able to quiet down; this is essential to engaging intuition. Easy ways to meditate are through yoga, classes (I took a wonderful class at college last year), or just lighting incense and watching the smoke.

3. Think positively!

Though this is difficult if you are unemployed or underemployed (oh yes, I have this experience behind me!) a worry-free, fear-free state could improve your intuitive ability exponentially. By staying positive, you attract good energy that would be able to easily recognize imminent feelings and events. Present yourself positively during an interview, so that the employer will "pick up" your energy.

4. Just let go.

What does this mean? If you are on the brink of making a huge decision, let go of all the inhibitions and head to a quiet place where you could find out where the letting go has brought you. I personally have made some of my best decisions while taking a nature walk. That's when I feel the most spiritual. Listen to the voice within you and pay attention to everything you hear, think, feel or know. This is how to receive pscyhic guidance.

5. Don't expect an immediate answer.

After letting go of the inhibitions and all those things that stop you from thinking and feeling clearly, never expect an answer right away. This aligns closely from my training in solution-focused counselling, which resembles Buddhism:"If the student is willing, the teacher will come forward.") In other words, if we don't suppress our intuitive thoughts, an answer will appear in time.

6. Believe in your first impressions.

When you see someone for the first time and think that he is a bit too arrogant for your taste, chances are that impression actually holds true. Most of the time, first impressions are brought by intuition. Think of interviews. Statistics show that the interviewer forms an impression of you within the first five minutes of the interview! Conversely, in customer service, they say "you only have one chance to make a positive impression."

7. Stay happy!

See? All you need to be intuitive is to stay happy! Happiness attracts immense power and such power includes intuition. Even if you're unemployed, put on a brave face and demonstrate happiness. Potential hiring managers will respond to your behaviour.

Intuition is helpful, because sometimes it leads you to something that cannot be achieved otherwise. Decisions are easier done if armed by this gift.

What is my best personal example of using intuition in my career? Intuition guided me to make a quantam leap career change from radio broadcasting (my dream career since I was nine years old), to returning to university to pursue a second degree in teaching.

In closing, Albert Einstein noted:" The intuitive mind is a sacred gift."

Act on your intuition now and reap benefits you have never imagined.

Melissa C. Martin
Gananoque, ON

613-382-7641/1-877-621-3141



careercoachingbyphone.com



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Career coaching and interview coaching; teleseminars, French teaching 1-877-621-3141

Visit my blog: webinarcareercoach.blogspot.com


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Saturday, February 20, 2010

Why Coaching is the Way to Go in Team Management

Why Coaching is the Way to Go in Team Management


When you hear the word “coach”, what comes first into your mind? Do you picture a basketball team with a man/woman shouting out directions? Or perhaps a football team with a man/woman pacing to and fro and calling out the names of the players?

Coaching is no longer reserved to sports teams; it is now one of the key concepts in leadership and management. Why is coaching popular?

Coaching levels the playing field. Coaching is one of the six emotional leadership styles proposed by Daniel Goleman. Moreover, it is a behavior or role that leaders enforce in the context of situational leadership. As a leadership style, coaching is used when the members of a group or team are competent and motivated, but do not have an idea of the long-term goals of an organization. This involves two levels of coaching: team and individual. Team coaching makes members work together. In a group of individuals, not everyone may have nor share the same level of competence and commitment to a goal. A group may be a mix of highly competent and moderately competent members with varying levels of commitment. These differences can cause friction among the members.


The coaching leader helps the members level their expectations. Also, the coaching leader manages differing perspectives so that the common goal succeeds over personal goals and interests. In a big organization, leaders need to align the staffs’ personal values and goals with that of the organization so that long-term directions can be pursued.

Coaching builds up confidence and competence.

Individual coaching is an example of situational leadership at work. It aims to mentor one-on-one building up the confidence of members by affirming good performance during regular feedbacks; and increase competence by helping the member assess his/her strengths and weaknesses towards career planning and professional development. Depending on the individual’s level of competence and commitment, a leader may exercise more coaching behavior for the less-experienced members. Usually, this happens in the case of new staffs. The direct supervisor gives more defined tasks and holds regular feedbacks for the new staff, and gradually lessens the amount of coaching, directing, and supporting roles to favor delegating as competence
and confidence increase.Coaching promotes individual and team excellence.


Excellence is a product of habitual good practice. The regularity of meetings and constructive feedback is important in establishing habits. Members catch the habit of constantly assessing themselves for their strengths and areas for improvement that they themselves perceive what knowledge, skills, and attitudes they need to acquire to attain team goals.


In the process, they attain individually excellence as well. An example is in the case of a musical orchestra: each member plays a different instrument. In order to achieve harmony of music from the different instrument, members will polish their part in the piece, aside from practicing as an ensemble. Consequently, they improve individually as an instrument player.


Coaching develops high commitment to common goals.


A coaching leader balances the attainment of immediate targets with long-term goals towards the vision of an organization.

As mentioned earlier, with the alignment of personal goals with organizational or team goals, personal interests are kept in check. By constantly communicating the vision through formal and informal conversations, the members are inspired and motivated. Setting short-term team goals aligned with organizational goals; and making an action plan to attain these goals can help sustain the increased motivation and commitment to common goals of the members.


Coaching produces valuable leaders. Leadership by example is important in coaching. A coaching leader loses credibility when he/she cannot practice what he/she preaches. This means that a coaching leader should be well organized, highly competent is his/her field, communicates openly and encourages feedback, and has a clear idea of the organization’s vision-mission-goals. By vicarious and purposive learning, members catch the same good practices and attitudes from the coaching leader, turning them into coaching leaders themselves. If a member experiences good coaching, he/she is most likely to do the same things when entrusted with formal leadership roles.


Some words of caution though: coaching is just one of the styles of leadership. It can be done in combination with the other five emotional leadership styles depending on the profile of the emerging team. Moreover, coaching as a leadership style requires that you are physically, emotionally, and mentally fit most of the time since it involves two levels of coaching: individual and team. Your members expect you to be the last one to give up or bail out in any situation especially during times of crises. A coaching leader must be conscious that coaching entails investing time on each individual, and on the whole team. Moreover, that the responsibilities are greater since while you are coaching members, you are also developing future coaches as well.


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Friday, February 19, 2010

T.A.P. Q#442 – Advice for Addressing Job-Hopping on Resume?

Dear Experts,

There was so much valuable information from your Bucket List webinar on Tuesday. It was clearly presented! I must say, I was staggered by the quote about 15 minutes – the average job seeker devotes just 15 minutes a day to their job search. I literally regard my search as a full time job for the business of me!

I recently had my resume significantly revised by a CAREEREALISM expert and while everyone who sees it remarks it looks very impressive, the problem of the illusion of job-hopping/not great longevity at all companies seems to be something of a roadblock.


The job hopping is not a different company every 3 months or something; some were finite projects which I very successfully completed and then moved on. I know more progressive companies are not obsessed about the job hopping thing, but there are a number of professional services firms I would like to approach and it would be very helpful to get your insight on how to specifically address the job-hopping issue.

I know companies are looking for incredible loyalty from their employees, and they think a history of longevity with former employers is their best guarantee for a prospective employee to stay with them for many years. That employers no longer exhibit incredible loyalty to their employees is worthy of note, but of course it would be churlish to point that out in an interview.

Do you agree it would be wise to include a very focused, artfully phrased paragraph in my cover letters which addresses this issue?

Many thanks for your responses!

Dear job hopper:
With the wealth of information on this topic, turn once again to the experts here on careerealism.com
(And yes, I myself have written and assisted with a minimum of  1200 resumes in English and in French!)
Tailor the content to your specific roles, accomplishments or acchievements in the past and stress how you have made/saved money and/or improved something for past employers.

Pack your resume with 80% accomplishments and achievements and only 20% job reponsibilities.
Also give your resume a healthy dose of ROI (return on investment) to the employer.

I agree with your viewpoint about the carefully crafted cover letter. Keep in mind that it may not be read though!

Use networking and tapping into weak ties as your best offence (not defense!) for successful job hunting!

Best wishes.

Melissa Martin, bilingual career coach and ebook author, How to find a job using social media
http://www.careercoachingbyphone.com/

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Thursday, February 18, 2010

Guest on careersuccessradio.com (Australia) with career coach Keith Keller

Check out Keith Keller's show recently broadcast on careersuccessradio.com

From my friend Keith Keller in Australia: Creative Careers - Latest from @Jobradio Check out the interview with @Ravingredhead (me) "Nourishing Your Creativity" http://tiny.cc/8m7U9



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Wednesday, February 17, 2010

T.A.P. Q#440 – Strategy for Finding Niche Job Boards?

T.A.P. Q#440 – Strategy for Finding Niche Job Boards?

February 17, 2010 by sparktalk

Dear Experts,
Recently on your webinar about job boards, the 2 guests mentioned niche job boards and local job boards.
I’ve found a couple local job boards for my city, but I need more help finding niche job boards. Their explanations on how to find these weren’t completely clear to me. Can you help?

Dear job seeker:
I highly recommend www.internetinc.com/top-100-job-site-niches-2009

Eric Shannon has compiled 30 niches, at least.

Best of luck!

Melissa Martin, bilingual career coach and ebook author, How to use social media in your job search
http://www.careercoachingbyphone.com/



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Monday, February 15, 2010

How to use the acronym "CANADA" as a problem solving formula to advance your job search

Day 4 of the Olympics. Our women's hockey team, Olympic medallists, have just routed the Swiss team with a triumphant win of 10-1.Still beaming with patriotic pride, I am inspired to use a Canadian acronym for the primary purpose of career coaching and the secondary purpose of sport coaching.

Nothwithstanding the Olympic competitors, athletes have used a proven technique that is so vital in job searching, mental visualization. But let me tell you about this acronym that will rouse your spirits, if you are unemployed, underemployed or laid off.

Back in April 2009, I attended a seminar in French on "laser coaching," or techniques for "small moments" when coaching is needed for any of us, whether personal, professional or otherwise.

The presenter gave us a booklet of techniques on career coaching.

The acronym for CANADA will help your job search move forward:

CA= What CAn you do differently to change the situation?

NA= When you think of the number 10, what word comes to you NAturally?

DA= What bold acts could you do to advance? (The DA refers to "audDAcieux," which means
bold in French.

Start using the CANADA acronym to advance your job search and get hired faster?

Need a career coach to help you move forward with your job search?

Book a one hour consultation with me about any job search topic of your choice, http://www.careercoachingbyphone.com get your job search back on track
or email me at teacher10@hotmail.com

"Fortune favours the bold," Virgil, Ancient Roman poet and writer

Melissa Martin
bilingual career coach
http://www.careercoachingbyphone.com/


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Want to learn an assertive interview question?

Interviewing tip of the day:
ABC= always be closing during the interview.

Avoid vague statements that will increase your chances of being passed over, such as " I'm very interested" or "This position sounds interesting."

Go for the gold!

Ask, " May I have the position please?"

You have once last chance to cross the finish line at the end of the interview.

Melissa Martin
bilingual career coach and ebook author, How to use social media in your job search
http://www.careercoachingbyphone.com/


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Wednesday, February 10, 2010

happiest and unhappiest jobs: survey

Interesting study from the University of Chicago:

The happiest jobs in descending order:

Clergy (including Judeo-Christian and Islamic faiths), firefighters, physical therapists, authors, special education teachers, teachers, painters, sculptors (!)

Now for the unhappiest jobs (in same order):
labourers, food preparers, salespeople, roofers, bartenders.

Now tell me your stories. Do you agree? 
For a limited time, I will give one FREE copy of my new ebook, How to find a job using social media, to the best "happy job" story and another FREE copy of my ebook for the best "unhappy story."

Melissa Martin
bilingual career coach
http://www.careercoachingbyphone.com/


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Monday, February 8, 2010

10 ways on how to deal with the signs of layoff-part I

Layoffs hit our psychological jugular (I just created the term in this context). Emotions run awry. Relationships are transformed. Former professiona/work alliances become beleagured, UNLESS we make strategic measures to overcome these realities. Speaking from experience in the past of one who has worked in various industries (radio broadcasting, education, sales and marketing and career/employment services).

Presently, the content of the article will be revised, with the hope that you, the reader, and the laid off worker will share your experiences so I can provide further strategies and remedies for an all encompassing, devestating life experience, the layoff.

To quote J.T. O'Donnell, owner of http://www.careerealism.com/ North Americans have one unique commonality that separates them from the rest of the Western workforce. In casual and professional situations, North Americans are quick to tie job titles with one's identity. Imagine yourself in a social situation, laid off, and you are asked,"So what do you do Jane?"  Words may behoove you, unless you have crafted a good branding statement or "elevator pitch" as we say in the employment field. (Outstanding resources are on this site to help you with this necessity of job searching).

But let's get to the root of the matter. I will be satisfied if at least ONE person can benefit from the tell tale signs of a layoff. Haunting as the signs may be, they are in no specific order:

1. Workplace behaviour has changed toward you.

This upsetting experience can be defined as simply as management giving you short shrift, criticism, lack of recognition, and decreased responsibilities. Be mindful of when these situations unfold around you. Management is paying attention. Or to harken back to George Orwell:" Big Brother is watching you." (Was it no co-incidence that over 100 of his predictions in the book 1984 came true?)

2. Your performance evaluation ratings have slipped and your supervisor is specific about what you are doing "wrong" rather than what you are doing "right" for the company or organization. While ratings like statistics can be manipulated, pay attention to the language of the performance evaluations, specifically direct quotations. Weigh your last performance evaluation ratings against the previous year (it is astonishing how many clients I have had whose employers did not provide regular performance evaluations!)

3. Your workplace environment has been drastically altered.
Has your office been modified? Has your private office been downscaled to a cubicle or outside location, in contrast to your other co-workers? Did you have to wait for a long period of time to get a private office, especially if you deal with and receive sensitive or confidential information in the course of your work?

4. You have been "singled" out in public or in private by management.
This shameful behaviour is prevalent, unfortunately in 2010. Have your ideas been discredited increasingly during staff meetings? Are you the subject of intense scrutiny "behind closed doors" by management, resulting in more frequent meetings in your boss' office?

5.Is office communication between you and management abnormally slow, infrequent or compromised?

This can take form of communication, under intense scrutiny, such as emails.

6. The company or organization has been performing poorly from an economic standpoint.
Have contracts been lost (consistently), or fewer customers or clients patronizing the establishment? Has management struggled and scrambled to recoup some of the lost revenue, perhaps by prioritizing fundraising initiatives, which may not otherwise be a priority at the company? Has a professional fundraiser been brought into the company in short order?

7. The company or organization is loathe or unable to be transparent about its finances to staff or to its stakeholders, such as a board of directors?
Businesses' primary objective is to generate revenue. Survival of the fittest is a frequent characteristic of the global economy.

8. Can your job or position be outsourced easily?
Many major corporations and companies have chosen to uproot domestic jobs in favour of cheaper labour elsewhere. In the sluggish economy, companies are getting better at doing with less, and requiring employees to fill multiple roles to save themselves from the pink slip queue.

9. Is your job or position being duplicated in the community?
Certain companies, organizations and industries may not be able to sustain likeminded services and still compete as the established product or service.

10. Are your professional achievements undervalued?
Territorial behaviour does exist. So does professional envy.

Quick remedies:

1. Document all your professional milestones in the last year and a half (ie achievements, accomplishments, etc.) The most crucial is to show how you have saved/made an employer money, saved time and/or improved something. Employers have a one track mind.

2. Know your allies at work. Get support immediately. Receiving the pink slip unexpectedly hurts enough, unless you have a support network to soften the blow. Support starts from home and extends into the workplace with trusted colleagues who can vouch for your achievements and accomplishments.

3. Get testimonials (letters of reference, etc) from colleagues or someone who knows your work peformance and ethics intimately.  Advance further and get testimonials online. Remember, your online identity is priceless.. Use linkedin.com testimonials to your advantage. Or check out http://www.comerecommended.com/
At least you will have online testimonials that are visible and speak to your professional integrity.

4. Grieve the loss of your job.

Remember J.T O'Donnell's comment from http://www.careerealism.com/?
Losing a job translates to losing one's identity, at least in North Amercian society.

5. Be aware (just aware) of the cycle of unemployment (the signs resemble the stages of grief). Each individual grieves differently.
6.  Get professional help to deal with point #5, if necessary.

7. Have a job search plan and hire a coach to devise a strategy that is winnable for you.

8. Take solace that layoffs rarely reflect you personally (though it may seem so, in a painful way). They reflect economics more often that not.

9. Take advantage of training or new training.

10. Volunteer your time. Elevate your self-esteem and contribute to the community.

In closing, powerhouse Brian Tracy has a brilliant tactic to uplift you in turbulent times:

"Practise being an inverse paranoid, convinced that there is a vast conspiracy to make u successful."

WOW!  And I love to quote the ancient Romans, "Fortune favours the bold."

Go out and be productive in your life!
Best wishes,

Melissa Martin
bilingual career coach and ebook author, How to use social media in your job search
http://www.careercoachingbyphone.com/





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T.A.P. Q#433 – How Do I Answer Salary Interview Questions?

Dear Experts,

What advice do you have when an interviewer ask what your current salary is? Do you answer? Is it better to discuss that topic later?

Dear interviewee,
Yes, it is best to discuss that topic later, almost always.

The general rule is the person who discusses salary first loses. What does that mean?
Do not be the first to address this issue, no matter how important. You don't want to be ruled out of the hiring equation straight away.

There are also some salary strategies to elevate your chances of being hired. If the employer insists on getting a figure, here are three surefire strategies:
1. Give the employer a salary range. For resources, go to http://www.monster.com/ (salary centre), or the salary wizard website, to identify the salary range according to your desired job title or industry. In Canada, check out Pay scale's "salary calculator."
2. Use the deferral strategy. This allows you to "buy time" and ask questions and probe as to what salary may be appropriate to your experience, skills and background.

3. If pressed for an answer, do the counter balance technique. Wait for the employer's reply. PAUSE for a few seconds. This may sound corny, but I once learned that the hesitation "hmmmm" can actually increase your chances of getting a hired salary.

4. If the employer doesn't want to negotiate beyond your desired salary, negotiate on tangible or intangible benefits, such as an extra week of salary, a company car, a higher training budget, private office, etc.
So if you not prepared to accept less than $40,000 for example, you may want to accept that figure, on condition that you have an extra week of salary or the opportunity to work at home once at week.

Best wishes!
Melissa Martin bilingual career coach and ebook author, How to use social media in your job search
http://www.careercoachingbyphone.com/
877-621-3141
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Thursday, February 4, 2010

T.A.P. Q#431 – Best Way to Cold Call?

February 4, 2010 by sparktalk

Dear Experts,

What is the best way to cold call?

I have a target city and I’ve found many of the software companies. I am now going through and researching them more thoroughly to see if they are a good fit for me. Sometimes they don’t list tech writers as positions they want and sometimes they do. I’ve found companies still don’t really understand the purpose of a tech writer.

How do I educate without talking down and criticizing, plus ask for a job?

Dear tech writer,
You have made a good start about being proactive.

In your particular case, I would suggest:
-leave a voice mail with a brief intro of your qualifications (name of person first and telephone number within the first few seconds. Ask professional recruiter David Perry-he advises this). At the end, say how you can save or make the company money or improve something. (Remember, every company has problems to solve). Take the consultative approach that talking to you would be a benefit.
-use the F word if necessary (feedback!) This worked for one of my clients recently when she mentioned the "F" word in a voice mail. The contact name called her back within 24 hours and invited her for an informational meeting during his lunch hour. (People love their egos stroked, especially when you ask for their feedback or advice).
-wait for a response
-send a follow-up email with industry information (ie http://www.pressrelease365.com/). Using zoominfo.com would be helpful.
-try this in person. To drum up more business for myself, a recent company THANKED me for coming in, because I arrived on the spot with a SOLUTION to their problem (after asking and probing questions about their company`s greatest challenge) and because I saved him the heartache of going through a stack of resumes.
-if you are really keen about working for a specific company, send your application by courier (ie FedEx, UPS) and address it to a hiring manager (http://www.jigsaw.com/ is a wonderful too for people`s coordinates). Getting an envelope by courier almost guarantees that the hiriing manager will read it, because it`s the only mail that can only opened to the designated person).

Best wishes,
Melissa Martin, bilingual career coach and ebook author of How to use social media in your job search
http://www.careercoachingbyphone.com/

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