This, less than 50 page, "How To Manual", (“The Job Seeker’s Edge”) is
economically priced and is composed of the:
                                
-        Specific Instructions,
-        Job Hunting Tools,
-        Advice and Tips, and
-        Inspirational Messages

that you need to conduct a efficient, effective and, most of all, successful Job
Search.

Scroll down to see Excerpts from “The Job Seeker’s Edge”

In less than 2 hours, you can learn how to:

-        Set Up A Three-Step, Plan of Action,
-        Uncover Every Job Opening,
-        Submit the Perfect Cover Letter and Resume,
-        Interview as the Ideal Candidate, and
-        Turn Rejection Into Acceptance.

You will learn how to Prepare for, Conduct and Follow Up every step of
your Plan of Action.

If you faithfully follow the instructions in this manual (including the
advice, tips and inspirational messages), you will have a significant
Competitive Edge over all of the other Job Seekers who do not.
The Job Seeker’s Edge
Overview

You have a full-time job. It is called Getting A Job. If you faithfully follow the instructions in this manual, you will have
a significant competitive edge over all the job seekers who do not.

Once you have pinpointed the types of jobs that you want and for which you are qualified, you must begin by:

1.        Uncovering Every Job Opening for which you are qualified.
2.        Sending the Perfect Cover Letter and Resume to each Job Opening; thereby, getting Interviews.
3.        During each Interview, making yourself appear to be exactly the person that the interviewer is seeking
(the Ideal Candidate).

If you will dedicate yourself to this: simple (three step) Plan of Action, your job search will quickly come to a very
satisfactory conclusion. You’ll get a job that you want.  

Uncovering Every Job Opening

The purpose of networking is to get:
1.        An Interview OR
2.        The chance to submit your Cover Letter and Resume OR
3.        A lead to another person (contact) who can help you in your job search




Sending the Perfect Cover Letter and Resume to each Job        

The purpose of your Cover Letter and Resume is to get an Interview. If they describe the perfect candidate, they are
perfect and you will get an interview. If you don’t, you probably wont.



Now, armed with as much information as you can possibly get:

Defeat the computer by cutting and pasting all requirements into your tailored document into the appropriate places
in your Cover Letter and Resume.


Although it may take an hour or two to create a perfect document, it is better to spend the time creating one
document that has a chance of passing all reviews than it is to submit 20 documents that will not pass the reviews.

Informing every contact (that led to your submission of the Cover Letter and Resume) of the submission. The Next
Contact Date is the date of submission. Make these contacts. They may be able to influence your acceptance.
On a Next Contact Date that is two weeks in the future, enter a Contact Telephone Call to check up on the progress
of your submission.

Be assertive in your quest. Use comments like; “ I thought that I was really qualified for that position and I want to find
out what I did wrong so that I wont repeat that mistake in the future. I really need a job”. Sometimes your persistence
will motivate people within the company to look for other jobs for which you are qualified.



Interviewing as the Ideal Candidate

Most interviews are decided on three factors.
-        Do they like you better than the other candidates?
-        Do they think you are more qualified to do the work?
-        Do they think you will be the ideal subordinate? In detail:
-        Will you do the work and produce a top-quality product on time?
-        Will you fit in with the work group and/or with their clients?
-        Will their superiors be happy with you?

Keep these factors in mind. They will help you prepare for and conduct the interview.

There are three Levels of Interviewers. The Strong Interviewer is confidant in their job and is looking to move up in
the company. The Average Interviewer is confidant in their job but is not looking to move up in the company. The
Weak Interviewer is afraid they will lose their job. You must be able to answer any open-ended question at the Level
of your interviewer.

The conduct of the interview is 90% preparation and 10% perspiration. Being thoroughly prepared will allow you to,
naturally, insert your questions at the appropriate times and to respond to questions in a professional manner.

Be on time. If you have not already filled out application forms for this firm, arrive at least 30 minutes before your
interview.

The first 60 seconds of an interview are critical! First impressions vital and can never be redone. Preparation makes
it second nature to appear: professional, competent and cheerful without looking uptight, arrogant or unhappy.

Repeat this process until you get the job or find out why you did not get the job. When you get a job, inform ALL
your contacts immediately with a Thank You Letter!

Turning Rejection Into Acceptance

Assess What Went Wrong

If you have sent out more than 10 Cover Letters and Resumes and you have not gotten an interview, your Cover
Letters and Resumes are not doing the job. The information that you gained during your follow up should provide
the answer as to what needs improvement. If you can’t determine what needs improvement, ask for help!
Somewhere among your contacts, there should be a person who can review the materials and help you determine
what needs improvement.

If you gone on more than 5 Interviews and you have not gotten a job offer, your Interviews are not doing the job. The
information that you gained during your follow up should provide the answer as to what needs improvement. If you
can’t determine what needs improvement, ask for help! Somewhere among your contacts, there should be a person
who can re-run the interviews and help you determine what needs improvement.


Don’t Get Depressed – Get Going

Rejection is a NORMAL part of the job search. Just as major league baseball players do not hit home runs every
time they come to bat, don’t expect your efforts to always have the desired results.



Job Hunting Tools


Cover Letter (Word)

       
      The Cover Letter is a summary of your resume. It should:
-        Describe your objective
-        Summarize your experience and prioritize your skills in the same sequence as they are listed in the:
advertisement, Job Posting, or Job Description.
-        If you lack a skill, explain how your experience will allow you to quickly become proficient in that skill.
-        Deal with salary if requested in the advertisement
-        Have a positive closing paragraph.

The sample is a Specific Cover Letter. It was tailored for a Job Description whose requirements were:

Develop and maintain multi-environment applications using: Project Management and Project Lifecycle
methodologies, relational databases, VSAM, VB, Basic C, COBOL, CICS and FORTRAN. Select platforms and
environments for new applications. Work with all levels of management. Goal oriented. Work as consultant or staff
member.

There are many books and articles the describe how to write Cover Letters and Resumes in much more detail. If you
have prepared your Questions and Answers for Interviews, you can quickly compose a moderate (middle-of-the-
road) response for each requirement.

The Cover Letter makes your first impression on the Manager/Interviewer. Make sure it is as perfect as possible.


Sample Specific Resume (Contents)

OBJECTIVE:  

A Project Leadership, Analysis or Training position where I can apply and expand my systems development and
management skills in: Mainframe, Client Server/PC or Internet/Intranet systems development and/or systems
maintenance environments.

EXPERIENCE:

As a Consultant: Developed application designs, project schedules, project budgets, proposals and cost/benefit
analyses for: mainframe, client server and Intranet/Internet applications.

Developed, modified, improved and administered a variety of Project Management and Project Lifecycle
Methodologies.

Managed software development and maintenance teams of up to 55 people on a wide variety of projects. Managed
multiple projects. Conducted project: staffing, organization, motivation, control and reporting for all projects. Over
95% of all projects were completed within schedule and under budget. All projects provided the benefits that were
required.

Developed: Business Requirements, Software/Database Requirements, Software/Database Specifications and
Design, Interface Analyses, Testing Requirements/Plans for many projects.

Projects have included: most Financial and Accounting applications, Imaging, Bank Compliance, Mortgage
Origination Applications including the interface to an expert system for underwriting mortgage loans, and
Management Information applications.

Programmed in COBOL, CICS, Visual Basic, Basic, C, Access and have reviewed programs in C++, Fortran, VB
Script and other languages. Have designed and worked on projects using DB2, MS SQL, VSAM, Access and other
databases. Used MS Project, Project Management Workbench, Harvard Project Manager, System Architect,
Information Engineering Workbench, VISIO, Workflow Factory, MS Office and a wide variety of other management
and analysis tools.

Developed and presented a variety of Project Management, Information Technology and MS Office courses and
seminars for corporations, government agencies and colleges.

As an Internal Manager: Performed the project management and performed the technical design of Direct
Distributed Marketing (DDM). DDM is an application that consolidates all of Barnett Bank’s solicitation data. DDM
combines: COBOL/CICS batch programs, a DB2 Database and DB2 Stored Procedures on the mainframe; a MS
SQL Database on the Client/Server network; and Active Server Pages and Intranet web pages for the user interface.

Managed up to 800 people and an $ 8 million budget. This is an example of a responsibility that MUST BE
DELETED. This is a much higher level of responsibility than is the Job Posting for this position.

EDUCATION:
       Masters of Business Administration Program (Nights) -
      University of Connecticut, Stamford, Connecticut

      Bachelor of Arts - Mathematics and Education -
      University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
Excerpts
From
"The Job
Seekers’ Edge"