Four Underused Job Search Tools

By

Wendy Lalli
Public Relations Chair of Downtown Chicago/IFBWC

Every job hunter knows that finding a new job is a job by itself. Of course, there are certain “tools” that can help make landing a job easier. Ask most job seekers to name some job search “tools” they’ll probably mention a resume and cover letter. And, indeed, both of these are necessities when you’re looking for work. The only hitch is that all too often people assume that the same resume and cover letter are suitable for every position they apply for. They’re not. Any more than the same screw driver is appropriate for tightening every screw in your house. (Ever try tightening the screws on your laptop with the same screwdriver you use to hang a curtain rod? Good luck!)

But resumes aren’t the only tools a job hunter should have at the ready. There are several others that many candidates ignore or misuse. Here are some tips on how to make these other tools work for you - not only during a job search but throughout your career.

Business Cards
They are the ultimate career development tool. Totally portable, easily affordable, and appropriate for all occasions and audiences from interviewing at a job fair to meeting your best friend’s new sister-in-law at a birthday party and she just happens to work with the very person you’ve been trying to interview with for the last six months. But here’s the sticky part – if your cards look cheap, dreary, boring, or overdone, they could work against you. Presenting such a card is sort of like wearing designer shoes that aren’t shined or an interview dress that’s badly stained. So make the effort to come up with a card that reflects your professionalism, creativity, and attention to detail.

The purpose of business cards is to make it easy for people to: (1)remember you and what you do and (2) get in touch with you again. They should always provide at least two ways (e-mail and phone) for someone to contact you. If you also list your Web site and your LinkedIn URL on the card, every recipient will be able to pull up your resume, work samples, testimonials, and photo immediately (assuming you've completed your Linkedin profile). What could be more convenient than that or a more effective way to sell your professional skills?

Vista Print (http://www.vistaprint.com/) is one resource that gives you lots of design options, good service, and reasonable prices. They even let you insert your own logo or design elements on the cards. Staples, Office Max, and Office Depot are other resources you could look into – not to mention your local printing shop.

Presentation Portfolios
Anyone who works in advertising regards her portfolio of samples or “book” as her most essential job hunting tool. For writers and art directors their books clearly demonstrate the level of their talent and the breadth of their experience. Account executives and production managers also use books to showcase their contribution to an ad campaign's success. But what if you’re not in advertising? Well, if you’re job hunting you are definitely marketing something – your skills and experience! And a portfolio is a great way to help interviewers appreciate what you’ve done in the past and may be able to do for them in the future.

What do you show? If you’re in management or sales you can present any document that demonstrates how you enhanced the success and profitability of your company. For example, you could include graphs showing how your department grew, sales soared, or productivity rose due to your efforts. Also thank you notes from clients and internal supervisors or perhaps a photo of your department accepting an internal award for achievement. How about internal documents you worked on to increase the efficiency of your staff? Assuming these aren't confidential, you could present a new review form you created or brand guidelines that you initiated. Then there are those white papers you contributed to, RFPs you worked on, materials from marketing or sales campaigns you oversaw. Ideally, you should be able to present a visual aid to talk about most of the achievements on your resume. This will help you discuss them more effectively and reinforce your achievements in the interviewer’s mind. This is just Marketing 101. Visualization sells products and it can also help you “sell” yourself as a candidate.

Electronic Samples
To expand the value of your portfolio, create an electronic version by scanning in the contents and storing them on your desktop. Add cover pages to each file explaining what the project was, what your objective was, what you actually did on the project, and the result of your efforts. These files can then be sent as email attachments along with your resume and cover letter.

You don’t necessarily want to submit these samples every time you send out your resume. However, if you’re applying for a specific job and your samples are a clear demonstration of your previous success doing something similar, they’ll help increase the likelihood of your getting an interview. (By the way, recruiters LOVE these samples because they make the job of selling you to their clients much easier.) Note: Please remember that with any document you post online, it can be shared with the entire world including your former employer and colleagues. So be careful to always tell the truth about what you did and how successful it was - without exaggeration.

Thank You Notes
I know, I know. I sound just like your mother! Well, it may be old fashioned and seem silly, but sending a handwritten note within a few days of interviewing is a very valuable job search tool. Here’s why: people hire people they like and no one likes or wants to work with someone who’s selfish, inconsiderate, and full of their own self-importance.

When you send a thank you note you immediately identify yourself as a person who is well-mannered and appreciative of the interviewer’s time. Call it buttering up if you like, but in the grownup world it’s how civilized adults behave. Show the interviewer what a pleasure you'd be to work with by sending a personal note. If you’re the only candidate who does so, you’ll stand out just that little bit more. And if all the other candidates sent one, you’re not doing so will definitely count against you.



Wendy Lalli is a freelance marketing and corporate communications writer who also coaches professionals in transition or on the job. She has written career advice columns for the Chicago Tribune, 25 newspapers in the Chicago Sun Times network, and various online educational sites. Visit www.wendylallicoach.com to learn more about her coaching activities and www.wendylalli.com to see examples of electronic portfolio presentations.