Setting an Appointment - Telephone Guidelines

When phoning, some career experts recommend that you be as presentable in dress and demeanor as you would be in person. Otherwise, you may place yourself in an awkward position in relation to the person you are calling. There are various schools of thought on this issue. And, depending upon your comfort level of dealing with people over the phone, it is more important to develop a style and strategy type that will work well for you than it is to focus on a cookie cutter approach. Discuss differing styles with us at American Search Partners.

The quoted norm to beginning your phone conversation is to always identify yourself before moving into the scrip. Or, they might urge you to speak in an enthusiastic manner and to keep a script in front of you of what you want to say. Now, if you get thrown off the track by some unexpected question or reaction to your call, it will be relatively easy to recover when you have your thoughts written out. However, you may need just quips, phrases, or bullet point ideas, rather than a script.

The most important thing to remember is to get an appointment; and almost everything is acceptable short of lying or deceit.

The following contains generalized statements regarding the telephone appointment setting approach. American Search Partners can help you with your individual situation.

Normally, an executive will have voice mail but you must be prepared in case an administrative assistant answers the phone. Establish rapport early because the administrative assistant is a facilitator, gatekeeper, and valuable business contact when used within the boundaries of effective gatekeeper communications.

When speaking, be positive, sure of yourself, and determined without seeming arrogant or rude. If you seem hesitant, indecisive or unsure of yourself, you may be put on the defensive and your chances of getting to talk to the person you are calling are minimized. You should expect to get through and to get an appointment or interview.

For business contacts and to learn the rest of this appointment strategy, contact one of our Career Strategy Advisers.

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Resume Planning & Strategy

Your resume is a presentation of what you will do well. It is a unique, dynamic, and factual representation of you at your best. It is a marketing tool, designed to create an interest in examining the “product” being described and to elicit an interview.

It is also an indication of future achievement of what you can accomplish for the employer. An employer can only hire for the future.

Your resume has three purposes:

1. To present your Career Objective in terms of your greatest strengths and to present this objective in a positive and unique way

2. To prove that your Career Objective is realistic and supported by related experience and accomplishments.

3. To enable you to take control of interviews by using your resume as a script and as a point of reference.

Your resume is also a bried or a brochure, which states:

1. This is what I want (your Objective).

2. This is why the Objective is reasonable: these are my capabilities (your Qualifications).

3. This is proof of my capabilities (your Achievements).

4. This is the environment where I gained those capabilities (your Experience and/or Education).

Remember, as in any form of communication, it is imperative to keep in mind the audience, the message, and the mode of transmission and reception. Construct the resume in a form that is articulate, easy to read, and visually appealing. Speak the language of the audience and structure your resume to allow the reader to find all the relevant information with the greatest ease and facility. American Search Partners works collaboratively with our clients throughout the building of their marketing materials and the resume writing process.



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Why structured marketing is more effective in a job search

Like many others, I had tried to lose a few pounds thru numerous attempts a while back, but to no avail. I tried various diets, I exercised, went to the gym, even bought some diet pills once or twice! I was determined, but Nothing worked! I finally decided to enroll at the athletic center nearby and hire a coach.

The trainer, put me trhu pretty much the same types of exercise (this time more structured), more or less using the same type of equipment (but with the right knowledge), and basically told me stuff I had know all along for the most part! But this time it worked! Because not only there was a structured, targetted plan, but also because I was committed: both prsonally, and financially I was determined and knew that this time was it! I had come to terms that do-it-yourself just didn't work for me like I was 20 any more. For some people it might, but I needed direction...

In today's job market, many are going back to whatever worked last time they were looking to reposition themselves, not realizing that A Lot Has Changed. But we can't come to terms with the fact the "that doesn't work any more".

In my line of work, I sometimes hear people express that most of the marketing elements, coaching and other approaches that we utilize in helping our clients successfully land the next career position, is common knowledge, and/or is readily available on the web, or thru other means. I have no argue with them of course. But the key factor is: CAN you succeed as effectively on your own?! Some might. Most people though, utilizing outdated methodologies, competing against millions in todays job market, are finding it more and more difficult and frustrating.

Yes, you can buy a do-it-yourself manual for most any task, but how efficient, how well suited the outcome, and how long would it take to figure it out? Remember the old saying: "Time is Money"? This is never more true than when you're unemployed! It's important to understand that this is about assessing all of ones options, and then seeing whether it makes sense that by having a structured and targetted plan, the right marketing tools, proven expertise, and up to date pulse of the market "Can I come out ahead?" and actually do this the right way and with desired outcome in a TIMELY manner.

Just like working out, Marketing is about results. Does Marketing work? Ask our politicians! If it were just about talking the talk, there would be No "Campaign Managers"!


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Improve Your Chances in you Job Search

In a challenging job market, many career opportunists, from all over the country, have relocated to the Dallas-Fort Worth area in search of jobs and career opportunities.

Because the competition is so fierce, it is even more important to ensure that your career search methods, interview techniques, and career marketing materials separate you from the crowd of applicants and ultimately place you in front of decision makers who have the vision and power to hire you, instead of another applicant.

Job hunting is harder right now than it has ever been. If you look at the statistics, they say one thing. Personally, one need only look at those close to us if they are in a search; at that point, sympathy and empathy are immediate reactions. It is a competitive jungle out there right now — but if you follow some basics, things might get a bit easier.

The first key to job hunting successfully is to know what you want. You need to have some goal in mind. Naturally, for most of us, that goal is to be employed, but in order to drive yourself and to be properly motivated, you have to be just a little bit more specific than that. For instance, would you be happy with a minimum wage job at a fast food restaurant? There is nothing wrong with that by any means — a job like that can help you get some kind of experience and it is typically ideal for high school students as well as students in their first or second year of undergraduate school. However, many of us simply want more than that. We want a job somewhere within the bounds of our chosen field of study.

That is where job hunting can get a little bit more intense. If you want a job that can take you places, a job that offers room for advancement and worthwhile opportunities, then you have to have a good resume. That is not at all negotiable. It is a necessity these days. The job market is so intensely competitive that you have got to have the best possible resume you can build. Now, where some of us run into trouble is the fact that we do not have a lot of Job Hunting experience.

Tailoring your resume, making it look good, can go a long way towards helping you get over that hump. You also need to supplement your resume with a well written CV. That is an abbreviation for curriculum vitae, and what that does is allow you to be more detailed and more specific than your resume allows. Your CV can be longer and more thorough; you can really chronicle your skills, attributes, and qualifications.

The last step in successful job hunting involves including a cover letter with each and every resume you send out to potential employers. You need to specifically tailor each cover letter to the position for which you are applying, and tie it into the skills you have to illustrate how you can bring your experience to the position.

You can try all these tips, but most importantly, you must assess the effectiveness of you campaign on a regular basis. If whatever your tactic, it’s not working, change your approach. I find, that a major part of the problem with the job market, is not just the economy (as most would want to blame), but what we as jobseekers do. Outdated methodologies such as the “spray and pray” approach, don’t work! If you get to a point that you feel “I’ve done what I could, but it’s not working”, get some assistance. As we may have heard, it makes no sense to keep doing the same thing over and over, and expect different results!

American Search Partners Dallas

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Where the Jobs are Now !?

It is true that companies have many problems, right now; however, that also means that the decision makers need “problem solvers”, “change agents”, and “key personnel” to help drive the number one challenge every company faces: revenue enhancement. Forget about cost cutting. Companies can only cut so much; they still have to focus on revenue.

Decision makers are asking the same questions. “How are you going to help me make money today?” and “How are you going to help me make money tomorrow?”

Are you prepared for these questions?

The key imperative questions for your search should include:

1. How do you locate opportunity in the midst of economic chaos?

2. How do you connect with the decision maker who has the power and vision to hire?

3. What do you communicate to the decision maker to make them make an offer?

4. Who can assist you in this task to lessen the work, learning curve, and assure results?

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Job Hunting in tough times

With over 25 years in the corporate world, it is my observation that when pushed into positions that are not a good fit, people will soon start looking at better options. Job hunters who are only using traditional methods in their quest for a new job are often finding themselves frustrated due to the lack of positive response. Searching through traditional methods alone can take hundreds of hours and produce a small response. The biggest challenge with traditional job search methods is that only a fraction of the jobs available are advertised.

Almost every job hunter is chasing the limited number of advertised job openings at the same time as everyone else. This becomes quite frustrating. The employer is overwhelmed with all of the responses and the job hunter is lost in the shuffle. People looking for jobs start to feel desperate, frustrated, and even hopeless. When job seekers reach this point, they are ready to simply give up while others will try anything that offers a glimmer of hope.

In hard times, finding a job can take months of time and effort. But you can speed up the process by using online search tools to save time and organize your efforts. It's recommended that you use multiple methods to find job opportunities that you are interested in. Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics suggest that people who use many job search methods find jobs faster than people who use only one or two.

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How to build your career with no guesswork

After over 25 years in the business/corporate arena, we hold that even if pushed into positions that are not a good fit, people will soon start looking at better options. Network Marketing Experts train job seekers to use Social Networking for profit while maintaining the fun of online networking and communication. You can still have fun using Facebook, MySpace, Tagged and other Social Networking sites while turning your online time into profit.

Almost every job hunter is chasing the limited number of advertised job openings at the same time as everyone else. This becomes quite frustrating. The employer is overwhelmed with all of the responses and the job hunter is lost in the shuffle. People looking for jobs start to feel desperate, frustrated, and even hopeless. When job seekers reach this point, they are ready to simply give up while others will try anything that offers a glimmer of hope.

Either online or offline, you should be able to make every moment an opportunity to find the perfect careers with relative ease. The learning curve is usually short, so users can be up and running in days instead of weeks. We can offer our clients advice on all areas of building their career with no guesswork once you begin using this system. 

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