Planning Your Search: What Should You Apply For?

Organizing a job search is not about flipping resumes to job ads like a cook in a fast food restaurant, nor is it only about what you want to do. It also involves careful thought and understanding about how your experiences "fits" the job market.

You see, most people begin their job search by saying to themselves, "I've had it. I think it's time to make a change." They know what they don't want but haven't taken the time to figure out what will satisfy them or what will please them.

In addition, you must know who you are and what motivates you as well as what criteria are important enough to be uncompromising about and on which ones you're willing to be flexible.

For example, you must know if you function better in a large environment - whether or not it's corporate, or a non-profit environment, a team one, or one in which you're required to motivate yourself in order to perform. To do this examine your previous jobs - what you liked and didn't like, what worked or didn't work, and why.

Once you know what you want, then start reading ads on the job boards, research some search professionals that specialize in your field, network with your co-workers from previous jobs, contact employers at companies in the area that seem seem right for you.

Working in this way will keep your search focused on what it is you want in your next job and not just on sending out resumes and going on interviews.

Jeff Altman
The Big Game Hunter
Concepts in Staffing
thebiggamehunter@cisny.com

© 2007 all rights reserved.

Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter, is Managing Director with Concepts in Staffing, a New York search firm, He has successfully assisted many corporations identify management leaders and staff in many disciplines since 1971. He is a certified leader of the ManKind Project, a not for profit organization that assists men with life issues, and a practicing psychotherapist.

To receive a daily digest of positions emailed to you, search for openings that The Big Game Hunter is working on, to use Jeff’s free job lead search engine, Job Search Universe, to subscribe to Jeff’s free job hunting ezine, “Head Hunt Your Next Job, or his staffing ezine, “Natural Selection”, or to learn about his VIP program, go to http://www.jeffaltman.com. Job Search Universe is also available at www.jobsearchuniverse.com To add your firm’s career page to “The Universe” email the url to jobsearchuniverse@gmail.com.

If you would like Jeff and his firm to assist you with hiring staff, or if you would like help with a strategic job change, send an email to him at thebiggamehunter@cisny.com (If you’re looking for a new position, include your resume).

If you have a question that you would like me to answer pertaining to job hunting or hiring, email it to him at:
thebiggamehunter@gmail.com

Job Hunting and American Idol: Similarities??

Every job search is an audition, just like the auditions are on American Idol. You step in front of Simon and the others, sing and dance your heart out in what often seems like an arbitrary exercise where you are sent home with less self-worth than you arrived . . .and sometimes you are chosen and it feels great!

How is job hunting like an audition?

Well, as I wrote in my article Cx5=PL, casting directors are looking for "it"--that special quality that makes someone standout fro others. Rarely is that purely the ability to read your lines (or answer their questions). It is a combination of charisma, that special quality that makes the entertainer shine brilliantly plus fit into the ensemble and not steal the scene.

You will have a fixed period of time with the casting director and they want what they want--don't beg for the job. No one ants to hear it. They want someone with self confidence and the ability to perform at the drop of a hat. They do not want to hear you being needy, frightened or begging. You have a few minutes at the beginning of each interview/audition to get their attention. Don't waste time "feeling them out". GO FOR IT!

To get to the casting call, actors and actresses send a small package of material including a cover letter, head shots, resume and video of their performances. In your case, send a resume that fits their job requirement (don't just flip the same resume to every ad you respond to), and a cover email, rather than a cover letter, that calls attention to how you fit their requirements. Skip the YouTube video resumes. I've only seen one good one so far (other than for entertainment professionals). Most are dull and boring.

When you come to the casting call, be kind and polite to everyone who you meet from building security and the receptionist to the managers who interview you. I can point to specific instances where rude treatment dished out to a receptionist resulted in an actor/job hunter being rejected.

Oh, yes. Frequently to even get invited to a casting call, you need to use your connections. Start making lists of all the people you have met personally and professionally and figure out ways to stay in contact with them. This way, when you need support to get through the door, you have people who know you who will help you.

Don't be a prima donna at your interviews. Be flexible if you can. Few of us have favorable impressions of those who demand star treatment in their dressing room. You are no different when you make unreasonable demands.


If a casting director makes a mistake, the movie or album fail and their career is shot. The same is true in the business world, too. Remember, that in the few minutes you have in front of a director, make your time worthwhile or be prepared to go home to Kansas!

Jeff Altman
The Big Game Hunter
Concepts in Staffing
thebiggamehunter@cisny.com

© 2007 all rights reserved.

Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter, is Managing Director with Concepts in Staffing, a New York search firm, He has successfully assisted many corporations identify management leaders and staff in many disciplines since 1971. He is a certified leader of the ManKind Project, a not for profit organization that assists men with life issues, and a practicing psychotherapist.

To receive a daily digest of positions emailed to you, search for openings that The Big Game Hunter is working on, to use Jeff’s free meta job lead search engine, Job Search Universe, to learn about his VIP program, or to subscribe to Jeff’s free job hunting ezine, “Head Hunt Your Next Job, go to http://www.jeffaltman.com. Job Search Universe is also available at www.jobsearchuniverse.com To add your firm’s career page to “The Universe” email the url to jobsearchuniverse@gmail.com.

For Jeff’s free recruiting ezine, NaturalSelection Ezine, designed to help human resources professionals, managers and business owners make even better hiring decisions, ,subscribe at www.thebiggamehunter.net.

If you would like Jeff and his firm to assist you with hiring staff, or if you would like help with a strategic job change, send an email to him at thebiggamehunter@cisny.com (If you’re looking for a new position, include your resume).

If you have a question that you would like me to answer pertaining to job hunting or hiring, email it to him at:
thebiggamehunter@gmail.com

What Am I Worth?

If I had a dollar for every time I'm asked that question, I would be wealthier than I am now by a lot. So let me offer you the simple answer and then the more complex answer.

The simple answer is, "I don't know. Let's let the market figure it for for us."

You see the real question being asked is "How much can you get me?" I understand that and also understand that when I quote a range, you only hear the highest number of the range. Often, people get stuck on that number and cause their career more pain than it needs.

So let me offer a simple way of figuring out your approximate value.

Go to a few job boards and look for job descriptions that read like what you do. Make the job description as focused as possible. Do you see a pattern?

That pattern is your approximate value.

Remember that if you are working under a visa, you will be offered less.

If the work is not current, you are valued less.

If you are a consultant, trying to enter industry at a staff level, you are OK. If you are a technical consultant whose work is primarily programming and trying to earn $150000 or more, you are over-priced for most markets. Firms pay that salary for people who manage, are involved with the budget process, and lead. They, generally, do not pay that to someone who wants to be doing that and hasn't done it yet.

If you require relocation to do the job you believe you are qualified for, you may need to take a little less.

Jeff Altman

The Big Game Hunter
Concepts in Staffing
jeffaltman@cisny.com

© 2007 all rights reserved.

Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter, is Managing Director with Concepts in Staffing, a New York search firm, He has successfully assisted many corporations identify management leaders and staff in many disciplines since 1971. He is a certified leader of the ManKind Project, a not for profit organization that assists men with life issues, and a practicing psychotherapist.

To receive a daily digest of positions emailed to you, search for openings that The Big Game Hunter is working on, to use Jeff’s free meta job lead search engine, Job Search Universe, to learn about his VIP program, or to subscribe to Jeff’s free job hunting ezine, “Head Hunt Your Next Job, go to http://www.jeffaltman.com. Job Search Universe is also available at www.jobsearchuniverse.com To add your firm’s career page to “The Universe” email the url to jobsearchuniverse@gmail.com.

For Jeff’s free recruiting ezine, NaturalSelection Ezine, designed to help human resources professionals, managers and business owners make even better hiring decisions, ,subscribe at www.thebiggamehunter.net.

If you would like Jeff and his firm to assist you with hiring staff, or if you would like help with a strategic job change, send an email to him at thebiggamehunter@cisny.com (If you’re looking for a new position, include your resume).

If you have a question that you would like me to answer pertaining to job hunting or hiring, email it to him at:
thebiggamehunter@gmail.com

Preparing for an Interview

There is one thing that job hunters do that makes me nervous and it happened the other day. A

As I was preparing someone for a phone interview, the person I was speaking with kept telling me how well they did on all of their previous interviews and that I had nothing to worry about.

It has been my experience that such overconfidence (some might say, arrogance) is rarely rewarded.

So when I called the person after their phone interview and asked about it, they started by telling me about a question that they had gotten hung up with about something they had done six years ago.

"Why did they ask me about that? I can talk about my work in recent times but I kind of fumbled around with this one."

I replied, "I emailed some advice about phone interviews to you yesterday. Did you read it?"

"I, uh . . ."

You obviously didn't see the suggestion to keep your resume in front of you nor act on my advice to prepare to discuss your experience in the context of the job they are trying to fill, nor probably ask, The Single Best Question You Can Ask on Any Interview."


Stop going to interviews unprepared. Even if you are successful "winging it," it costs you money. Imagine how well you could have done had you done a few minutes of work.

Oh, I don't believe a job offer is forthcoming to our person who always impresses people on interviews.

Jeff Altman
The Big Game Hunter
Concepts in Staffing
jeffaltman@cisny.com

© 2007 all rights reserved.

Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter, is Managing Director with Concepts in Staffing, a New York search firm, He has successfully assisted many corporations identify management leaders and staff in many disciplines since 1971. He is a certified leader of the ManKind Project, a not for profit organization that assists men with life issues, and a practicing psychotherapist.

To receive a daily digest of positions emailed to you, search for openings that The Big Game Hunter is working on, to use Jeff’s free meta job lead search engine, Job Search Universe, to learn about his VIP program, or to subscribe to Jeff’s free job hunting ezine, “Head Hunt Your Next Job, go to http://www.jeffaltman.com. Job Search Universe is also available at www.jobsearchuniverse.com To add your firm’s career page to “The Universe” email the url to jobsearchuniverse@gmail.com.

For Jeff’s free recruiting ezine, NaturalSelection Ezine, designed to help human resources professionals, managers and business owners make even better hiring decisions, ,subscribe at www.thebiggamehunter.net.

If you would like Jeff and his firm to assist you with hiring staff, or if you would like help with a strategic job change, send an email to him at thebiggamehunter@cisny.com (If you’re looking for a new position, include your resume).

If you have a question that you would like me to answer pertaining to job hunting or hiring, email it to him at:
thebiggamehunter@gmail.com

Do’s and Don’ts After The Interview

7 Steps You Can Take to Help You Gain The Advantage

Things you do after the interview can influence a firm to hire you or to turn to someone else. Here are a few things to remember to do AND NOT DO.

1. Obtain a business card from everyone you meet at the interview so that you can address them properly when you . . .
2. Send a thank you letter via email to the people you met with. Express your interest in the job and reinforce why you believe you are qualified to be hired. Spell check and grammar check the email before sending it. I receive so many emails with lazy spelling mistakes.
3. Don’t send the same thank you note to everyone. Personalize it
4. Don’t forget to spell and grammar check each note.
5. Establish contact with your references to insure that they will be sjupportive of your candidacy and to hear what they have to say about you; if their reference is lukewarm, replace them with someone else. Such references are as useful as having a bad reference.
6. Follow up after a few days to continue to express interest and to determine their timetable for making a decision. Be patient and don’t call too often.
7. People often make the mistake of putting all their efforts on hold when they did well on the interview. The problem is that sometimes a job goes “on hold” or “the perfect candidate” walks in the door and you’re rejected for the job. KEEP LOOKING. KEEP INTERVIEWING. KEEP NETWORKING.

Following these steps will help you in many ways.

Jeff Altman
The Big Game Hunter
Concepts in Staffing
jeffaltman@cisny.com

© 2007 all rights reserved.

Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter, is Managing Director with Concepts in Staffing, a New York search firm, He has successfully assisted many corporations identify management leaders and staff in technology, accounting, finance, sales, marketing and other disciplines since 1971. He is a certified leader of the ManKind Project, a not for profit organization that assists men with life issues, and a practicing psychotherapist.

To receive a daily digest of positions emailed to you, search job openings, use his free job lead search engine, Job Search Universe. to subscribe Jeff’s free job search ezine, Head Hunt Your Next Job, or to learn more and sign up for his VIP Personal Search Agent service, go to, http://www.jeffaltman.com. To subscribe to Jeff’s free recruiting ezine, Natural Selection Ezine, subscribe at www.naturalselectionezine.com

If you would like Jeff and his firm to assist you with hiring staff, or if you would like help with a strategic job change, send an email to him at jeffaltman@cisny.com (If you’re looking for a new position, include your resume).

Get Your Resume on the Web and Not Just on Job Boards

Free Sites Make It easy

More and more companies and search firms are using tools like Talenthook and Infogist to search the web and job boards for resumes. They do so because these tools allow a company to locate resumes that fit their requirements on multiple job boards and websites concurrently and then send an email to them requesting the individual to contact them This is an enormous time saver for businesses.

But the problem still remains the results of all contacts. The major job boards fill fewer than 10% of available positions! They fail more than 90% of the time! Even if you believe that employment firms who advertise there and fill jobs should be included in the number of jobs filled and add every single position that employment agencies and search firms fill into the job board number, both categories fill no more than one third of all available jobs.

Part of the reason for that is that job boards are so expensive. To purchase access to the resume data base of one the major job boards, a firm must be willing to spend $100000 - $25000. How many small to midsized firms, the place where most of the major job creation has been in the US for the past decade ,do you think are willing to do that?

One way you can get your resume found by these firms is to have your resume posted on the web. If you have your own website, you create a page within your domain, optimize it for search engines, robots and spiders and get yourself found.

If you don’[t have a website, Microsoft and Google, to name a few will provide you with a free website where you can register a domain or an address to have your resume hosted. Microsoft’s service is located at http://www.office.live.com. There you can register a domain of your choosing (as long as it is available) and get your resume online.

Google’s PageCreator will offer you a sub domain of Google (www.yourname.google.com) Neither software they offer is sensational but they will do the job.

Make sure you optimizes your site for search agents. The geographic area where you are willing to work, your current salary and compensation plus your legal right to work in the country of your choosing (US examples would include citizen, green card holder, EAD, H-1b, F-1, B-1, to name a few) and then (SHAMELESS PLUS COMING) email the link to your site to theresumeuniverse@gmail.com and we will include it in our new free search engine. The Resume Universe uses Google technology to allow employers and search firms to search for resumes for free (and your resume is posted for free, too!

Using tools like Talenthook and Infogist, or just searching using The Resume Universe or Google will go a long way toward helping you add choices to your job search and more businesses being able to find you . . . for free!

Jeff Altman

The Big Game Hunter
Concepts in Staffing
jeffaltman@cisny.com

© 2007 all rights reserved.

Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter, is Managing Director with Concepts in Staffing, a New York search firm, He has successfully assisted many corporations identify management leaders and staff in technology, accounting, finance, sales, marketing and other disciplines since 1971. He is a certified leader of the ManKind Project, a not for profit organization that assists men with life issues, and a practicing psychotherapist.

To receive a daily digest of positions emailed to you, search job openings, use his free meta job lead tool or to subscribe Jeff’s free job search ezine, Head Hunt Your Next Job, go to, http://www.jeffaltman.com. To subscribe to Jeff’s free recruiting ezine, Natural Selection Ezine, subscribe at www.naturalselectionezine.com For information about personal search services, go to www.VIPPersonalSearch.com.

If you would like Jeff and his firm to assist you with hiring staff, or if you would like help with a strategic job change, send an email to him at jeffaltman@cisny.com (If you’re looking for a new position, include your resume).

Start Your Next Job Looking Great!: Two simple steps to getting a head start on everyone.

No matter if you are a beginner or a senior executive, you arrive at your new job with a "halo" around you. You were the one they chose; you are the solution to what they needed.

Halos don't last forever and your path to career success can be smooth or paved with ruts. How would you like to arrive at your new job with a leg up on everyone else and it might only take you two hours. TOPS!

Would you want to know two simple techniques to creating a great impression?

Step #1. Meet with your new boss and/or colleagues to get a clear picture on what you will need to do in your first 30 to 60 days to get off to a great start. It doesn't matter what they told you during the interview; things change AND they will probably be more forthcoming out their needs so that you can start mapping out solutions, milestones and targets that make sense

Step #2: Select 2 or 3 goals to accomplish during that time. Often, you will be handed a list of objectives and need to prioritize them for maximum impact.

DO IT!

Following this advice will often get you off to a great start and help cause people to notice you in a good way.

Jeff Altman The Big Game Hunter
Concepts in Staffing
jeffaltman@cisny.com

© 2007 all rights reserved.

Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter, is Managing Director with Concepts in Staffing, a New York search firm, He has successfully assisted many corporations identify management leaders and staff in technology, accounting, finance, sales, marketing and other disciplines since 1971. He is a certified leader of the ManKind Project, a not for profit organization that assists men with life issues, and a practicing psychotherapist.

To receive a daily digest of positions emailed to you, search job openings, use his free meta job lead tool or to subscribe Jeff’s free job search ezine, Head Hunt Your Next Job, go to, http://www.jeffaltman.com. To subscribe to Jeff’s free recruiting ezine, Natural Selection Ezine, subscribe at www.naturalselectionezine.com For information about personal search services, go to www.VIPPersonalSearch.com.

If you would like Jeff and his firm to assist you with hiring staff, or if you would like help with a strategic job change, send an email to him at jeffaltman@cisny.com (If you’re looking for a new position, include your resume).

Creating a Resume for the Web

Don't Just Rely on Job Boards

Most people believe that when they create a resume, all they have to think of is posting it on the major job sites and a few minor ones, send it to a few ads and, voila, 15 interviews later the job of their dreams appears.

What if I told you that the major job boards are only filling approximately 7% or 8% of the available positions would I have your attention?

You see the problem with the major job boards is that your resume will only be seen by companies that are willing o spend the tens of thousands of dollars to subscribe to their resume data base.

And the others, like the small and midsized firms that have been driving job growth in the US for the last 20 years are often shut out from seeing it.

So when I speak about putting your resume on the web, I mean posting a search engine optimized resume online that can be found by robots, spiders, crawlers, Google, Talenthook, Infogist (Talenthook and Infogist are tools that search the web and multiple job boards concurrently) and others and not just simply post it on job boards.

So what can you do if you don’t operate a website and want to post your resume?

Yahoo, Google, Microsoft and others will all give you free space to post your resume.

Once it is online, these tools plus my new addition to “The Universe series” of search engine products will allow your resume to be found by anyone.

My new search engine, The Resume Universe (www.theresumeuniverse.com) is a free search tool for everyone. Free to have your resume included in the search results; free for companies to search. After all, do you want your resume to be found by the best company or the best one willing to spend $15000 a year to search?

To have your resume included, email the link to your resume (not the resume, the URL where your resume is) to theresumeuniverse@gmail.com.

I believe this new tool, coupled with my job led search engine Job Search Universe (www.jobsearchuniverse.com) will go a long way toward helping people find work.

Oh yes, if you want to have your resume re-done, contact my friend, Matt Sislowitz at Radical Resumes (www.radicalresumes.com); Matt does great work and is fairly priced

Jeff Altman
The Big Game Hunter
Concepts in Staffing
jeffaltman@cisny.com

© 2007 all rights reserved.

Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter, is Managing Director with Concepts in Staffing, a New York search firm, He has successfully assisted many corporations identify management leaders and staff in technology, accounting, finance, sales, marketing and other disciplines since 1971. He is a certified leader of the ManKind Project, a not for profit organization that assists men with life issues, and a practicing psychotherapist.

To receive a daily digest of positions emailed to you, search job openings, use his free meta job lead tool or to subscribe Jeff’s free job search ezine, Head Hunt Your Next Job, go to, http://www.jeffaltman.com. To subscribe to Jeff’s free recruiting ezine, Natural Selection Ezine, subscribe at www.naturalselectionezine.com For information about personal search services, go to www.VIPPersonalSearch.com.

If you would like Jeff and his firm to assist you with hiring staff, or if you would like help with a strategic job change, send an email to him at jeffaltman@cisny.com (If you’re looking for a new position, include your resume).

The Smartest Lesson to Learn About Looking for Work

During this most recent recession, technology professionals learned a lesson that people in other industries learned a long time ago.—the best time to look for a new job is when you don’t need a new job.

By not heeding the lessons of other industries, when hundreds of thousands of people were laid off in technology with little notice more than, “Can I speak with you for a minute,” they were completely unprepared to look for work. No resume. Their professional contacts in disarray. They were, as they say in 12 step, “at bottom.”

As a person who has been a search professional for more than 30 years, I’ve learned that the person who gets ahead professionally isn’t always the smartest (there’s ample proof of that) or work the hardest . . . although those are two great attributes to have. The person who gets ahead actually is the one who remains alert to opportunity. Sometimes those are internal to an organization. More often, they are external.

Many people were hurt during the last recession by thinking that if they worked hard, played by the rules and their boss liked them, they would be protected from layoff.

What can you do?

1. Keep your resume up-to-date. Every 3-4 months, update your resume. If you don’t want to take the time to do that, jot down a summary of your accomplishments during the quarter.

2. Stay in contact with your professional references. When you lave a job, make sure you have home and office numbers, as well as personal and professional email addresses to reach them. When a person is close to receiving a job offer, it sends a poor signal to the employer when references are not ready in advance. Also, member that you may remain in a job for several years but your boss may change, move or be transferred. Getting as much contact information as possible will allow you to re-establish contact quickly and easily when it counts.

3. Maintain and expand your professional network regularly. A quick note to the recruiters you worked with before telling them about what you are now doing. Joining professional organizations. Writing for industry publications. Joining social network groups and websites (more about this in another article) will help you connect with others.

4. Don’t be embarrassed about what you do. Feel free to talk about yourself and your work with anyone. It is amazing how people sometimes find work Don’t assume that you can only speak with people you met as professional contacts. Speak to anyone. You never know who their friends are, or who their spouse or partner is and how they might be able to use someone just like you.

I know that I have met many wonderful people and been able to help them staff positions or find new careers by just talking about what I do with complete strangers. You can too.

Jeff Altman

The Big Game Hunter
Concepts in Staffing
jeffaltman@cisny.com

© 2006 all rights reserved.

Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter, is Managing Director with Concepts in Staffing, a New York search firm, He has successfully assisted many corporations identify management leaders and staff in technology, accounting, finance, sales, marketing and other disciplines since 1971. He is a certified leader of the ManKind Project, a not for profit organization that assists men with life issues, and a practicing psychotherapist.

If you have a question that you would like me to answer, email it to me at:

thebiggamehunter@gmail.com

To receive a daily digest of positions emailed to you, search for openings that The Big Game Hunter is working on, to use Jeff’s free meta job lead search engine, Job Search Universe, to learn about his VIP program, or to subscribe to Jeff’s free job hunting ezine, “Head Hunt Your Next Job, go to http://www.jeffaltman.com. Job Search Universe is also available at www.jobsearchuniverse.com To add your firm’s career page to “The Universe” email the url to jobsesarchuniverse@gmail.com.

For Jeff’s free recruiting ezine, NaturalSelection Ezine, to help human resources professionals, managers and business owners make even better hiring decisions, ,subscribe at www.naturalselectionezine.com .

If you would like Jeff and his firm to assist you with hiring staff, or if you would like help with a strategic job change, send an email to him at jeffaltman@cisny.com (If you’re looking for a new position, include your resume).

Counteroffers: Should I?

You should not be amazed to receive a counteroffer after you give your notice because in times of labor shortages, the cost of replacing you can be enormous. Those costs can include:

1) the impact of stretching your colleagues while they look for a replacement

2) the cost of advertising and responding to each and every respondent

3) the cost of taking people away from their tasks to interview

4) the cost of the fee to a search firm

5) the cost of getting your successor “up to speed”

Yet, the question remains, should you actually take a counteroffer? Should you actually consider accepting your current company’s proposal? Here are a few things to consider.

1. What kind of company do you work for if you have to threaten to leave to get the salary you want or title you deserve? This is not a question of ego; it is recognizing that there is a message in every action or inaction a company makes. You can expect the same inertia the next time.
2. Your company may start looking for your replacement. Now that you’ve announced that you’re unhappy, your firm may start looking for a replacement that meets their timetable, rather than yours.
3. Where is the funding coming from for this? Since companies generally have guidelines for increases, are they only giving your next raise to you a little early?
4. Your loyalty may be questioned in the future. The next time a promotion is in order and the choice is between you and “the loyal one,” who do you think will be rewarded?
5. When the next cutbacks occur, who becomes an obvious target? Right now, we are in good times. Those times eventually end and firms make cuts in those times. You are an obvious target.
6. The circumstances that caused you to want to leave will reoccur. It’s like the spouse or partner who promises to act better when they are threatened by you leaving. They may act better for a while, but the old behaviors repeat themselves after the crisis disappears. As a result,
7. Statistics show that the person who accepts a counteroffer is far more likely to leave their job within a year of accepting it. Pretty grim, huh?
8. You are being “bought” to overlook other faults. Your job is frustrating, your manager is a jerk, the location is wrong, the benefits are terrible, you received a bad bonus and your colleagues are incompetent. Here’s a few thousand more to forget about these other things.

As tempting as it may be to accept a counteroffer, you must carefully evaluate the benefits of leaving with the risks of staying. Most people are far better served by leaving, rather than staying.

Jeff Altman
The Big Game Hunter
Concepts in Staffing
jeffaltman@cisny.com

© 2006 all rights reserved.

Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter, is Managing Director with Concepts in Staffing, a New York search firm, He has successfully assisted many corporations identify management leaders and staff in technology, accounting, finance, sales, marketing and other disciplines since 1971. He is a certified leader of the ManKind Project, a not for profit organization that assists men with life issues, and a practicing psychotherapist.

If you have a question that you would like me to answer, email it to me at: thebiggamehunter@gmail.com

To receive a daily digest of positions emailed to you, search for openings that The Big Game Hunter is working on, to use Jeff’s new meta job lead tool, Job Search Universe, or to subscribe to Jeff’s free job hunting ezine, “Head Hunt Your Next Job, go to http://www.jeffaltman.com. Job Search Universe is also available at www.jobsearchuniverse.com To add your firm’s career page to “The Universe” email the url to jobsesarchuniverse@gmail.com.

For Jeff’s free recruiting ezine, NaturalSelection Ezine, to help human resources professionals, managers and business owners make even better hiring decisions, ,subscribe at www.naturalselectionezine.com . For information about personal job search services, go to www.VIPPersonalSearch.com.

If you would like Jeff and his firm to assist you with hiring staff, or if you would like help with a strategic job change, send an email to him at jeffaltman@cisny.com (If you’re looking for a new position, include your resume)

Job Search Universe: A New Google-Powered Job Lead Tool

Job Search Universe

A New Google-Powered Job Lead Tool

From Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter

When most people look for job leads, they go from web site to website, posting their resume and searching job listings.

Job Search Universe is a Google-powered meta job lead tool that, as of today, searches more than 1600 job sites concurrently and returns jobs that meet your search criteria.

Jobs in the US, UK, China, India, Pakistan, Canada, Singapore, Australia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Germany, the Middle East, . . .even space

Positions in technology, accounting, journalism, construction, healthcare including specialties, logistics, farming, finance, media, aviation, space careers, woodworking, plastics, forestry, academia, museums, public relations.

Full time, consulting, part time, telecommuting.

Check out “The Universe” at www.jeffaltman.com or www.jobsearchuniverse.com

And, if you have a website and want to carry it, send an email to jobsearchuniverse@gmail.com and I’ll forward code to you.

If you want your company’s career page include, send an email to the same address and we’ll add it (No employment agencies or search firms at this time).

Reference Checks: Do or Die Time

It should go without saying that having good references prepared to give to a perspective employer are an important part of the job search process. The employer who is evaluating you has only met you on a few occasions and seems that you have the skills required but your references are people who have worked with you regularly and who know your work first hand.

Ideally, your references should be former managers; peers are definitely second choices, particularly for non-manager level job hunters.

So what’s the biggest mistake that job hunters make with their references?

They don’t have the references checked to hear what is said about them!

(The second biggest mistake is presenting inaccurate contact information to the employer and then having to correct it.)

Recently, someone I was representing for a senior position with a major firm took “the lazy man’s approach” of turning over unchecked references to a prospective employer.

They were given at the time of the first meeting on the employment application.

Three interviews later, the employer called them and heard one of them offer what can only be described as a “candid assessment” of the individual and their (lack of) success.

It was impossible to fix.

For less experienced people, the reference may not be skillful at describing their successes, contributions and experience, presenting information in a “lukewarm” manner that is interpreted as ambivalence or neutrality, rather than the lack of experience the reference provider may have.

Make sure your references will speak in glowing terms about:

Skills competence
Character
Personal leadership
Work ethic
Ability to work with Superiors, peers, subordinates and others you may interact with
Self-Motivation
Personality
Ability to work independently
Ability to work with a team
Your ability to work under pressure

Not preparing your references may result in your candidacy crashing and burning.

Preparing them well, can give you that extra inch that puts you over the top . . . and pays you better!

Jeff Altman

The Big Game Hunter
Concepts in Staffing
jeffaltman@cisny.com

© 2006 all rights reserved.

Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter, is Managing Director with Concepts in Staffing, a New York search firm, He has successfully assisted many corporations identify management leaders and staff in technology, accounting, finance, sales, marketing and other disciplines since 1971. He is a certified leader of the ManKind Project, a not for profit organization that assists men with life issues, and a practicing psychotherapist.

If you have a question that you would like me to answer, email it to me at:

thebiggamehunter@gmail.com

To receive a daily digest of positions emailed to you, search for openings that The Big Game Hunter is working on, to use Jeff’s new meta job lead tool, Job Search Universe, or to subscribe to Jeff’s free job hunting ezine, “Head Hunt Your Next Job, go to http://www.jeffaltman.com. Job Search Universe is also available at www.jobsearchuniverse.com To add your firm’s career page to “The Universe” email the url to jobsesarchuniverse@gmail.com.

For Jeff’s free recruiting ezine, NaturalSelection Ezine, to help human resources professionals, managers and business owners make even better hiring decisions, ,subscribe at www.naturalselectionezine.com . For information about personal job search services, go to www.VIPPersonalSearch.com.

If you would like Jeff and his firm to assist you with hiring staff, or if you would like help with a strategic job change, send an email to him at jeffaltman@cisny.com (If you’re looking for a new position, include your resume).

Cover Emails, Not Cover Letters

I detest cover letters. They arrive as an attachment in an email and require me to open a second file that rarely tells me anything interesting or useful to my decision-making about the sender. I always recommend that people use their actual email to include the information that they would in a cover letter.

A well-written cover email will engage the reader and encourage them to read your resume. Before you start off writing your cover letter, write down what you want to tell someone because in three to four paragraphs, someone will make a decision about whether to open up the resume you sent them with interest or indifference.

Here’s some simple advice:

Use your cover email to highlight elements of your experience that fit the job description you are responding to. Generic cover notes waste an opportunity to cause someone to be interested and excited in your background. Your cover email should make it obvious to a 6 year old reader that you have the experience to do the job by showing that you have the experience and skills they are looking for.

Keep your sentences short. Avoid using really long sentences because you don't want someone to need to read something twice to understand what you're trying to say.

Keep your language simple. Although in some cultures a note that includes a sentence like "I take immense pleasure in applying for this esteemed position in this esteemed organization," is proper, in U.S. culture it is not.

Organize the content of your cover letter into small paragraphs or bulleted points, not exceeding three paragraphs.

Spell and grammar check your email! Visually re-read what you wrote because some words may be spelled correctly when misspelled.

Use the subject line of your email to tell them what job you are applying for. If their ad included a job code, include it. People are often trying to fill many jobs and this will focus them on the one you are applying for.

Explain why you think your skills and the skills are a good match for the position. Include a reference to a particular achievement in your current or previous job (current job is preferable) that is.

DO NOT LIE! They always find out.

Sign your cover email with “Sincerely,” "Yours truly" or "Best regards" and use an Italic font to “sign” your name under it.

Doing a few of these simple things will give you more AND better opportunities to win the job you want. Don’t be lazy and send the same email over and over again. Tailor your cover email, like you do your resume (you are tailoring your resume) and you will get superior results.

Jeff Altman

The Big Game Hunter
Concepts in Staffing
jeffaltman@cisny.com

© 2006 all rights reserved.

Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter, is Managing Director with Concepts in Staffing, a New York search firm, He has successfully assisted many corporations identify management leaders and staff in technology, accounting, finance, sales, marketing and other disciplines since 1971. He is a certified leader of the ManKind Project, a not for profit organization that assists men with life issues, and a practicing psychotherapist.

If you have a question that you would like me to answer, email it to me at:

thebiggamehunter@gmail.com

To receive a daily digest of positions emailed to you, search for openings that The Big Game Hunter is working on, to use Jeff’s new meta job lead tool, Job Search Universe, or to subscribe to Jeff’s free job hunting ezine, “Head Hunt Your Next Job, go to http://www.jeffaltman.com. Job Search Universe is also available at www.jobsearchuniverse.com

For Jeff’s free recruiting ezine, NaturalSelection Ezine, to help human resources professionals, managers and business owners make even better hiring decisions, ,subscribe at www.naturalselectionezine.com . For information about personal job search services, go to www.VIPPersonalSearch.com.

If you would like Jeff and his firm to assist you with hiring staff, or if you would like help with a strategic job change, send an email to him at jeffaltman@cisny.com (If you’re looking for a new position, include your resume).

Interesting Statistics About Job Searches Reveal Changes in How Searches Are Conducted

Here’s some data from a survey conducted by Weddles:

"A total of 1,270 people participated in our survey. Here's how they think they'll be successful in future job search campaigns:

- 57.6% Responding to an ad posted on an Internet job board
- 16.8% Networking at business and social events
- 7.2% Responding to an ad posted on an employer’s Web-site
- 7.6% Sending a resume to an employer by mail
- 3.9% Receiving a call from a headhunter
- 1.9% Receiving a call from a staffing firm
- 1.9% Attending a career fair
- 1.6% Responding to a newspaper ad
- 0.7% Joining a social networking site

There are a number of stunning changes in the thinking of job seekers:

Newspapers, once the primary domain of job hunters, have become unimportant in their mind.

Receiving a call from a recruiter out of the blue, a methodology used by search professionals to identify top talent, has become a “trivial pursuit” of theirs.

Networking remains an important approach to finding work.

More than half of you expect to find a job via a web ad. I expect that this percentage also includes people who post their resumes on the web because that alternative is not included among possible answers.

More than 15% expected to have success through direct contact with an employer, either through mailing (GASP!) a resume or their website. Company websites are becoming more important in the scheme of job hunting. This gives an advantage to well-known companies who are not necessarily the places where greatest job growth is occurring.

A product like my new meta job lead tool, Job Search Universe, which concurrently searches over 800 sites and growing can go a long way to simplify your search.

Jeff Altman

The Big Game Hunter
Concepts in Staffing
jeffaltman@cisny.com

© 2006 all rights reserved.

Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter, is Managing Director with Concepts in Staffing, a New York search firm, He has successfully assisted many corporations identify management leaders and staff in technology, accounting, finance, sales, marketing and other disciplines since 1971. He is a certified leader of the ManKind Project, a not for profit organization that assists men with life issues, and a practicing psychotherapist.

If you have a question that you would like me to answer, email it to me at:

thebiggamehunter@gmail.com

To receive a daily digest of positions emailed to you, search for openings that The Big Game Hunter is working on, to use Jeff’s new meta job lead tool, Job Search Universe, or to subscribe to Jeff’s free job hunting ezine, “Head Hunt Your Next Job, go to http://www.jeffaltman.com. Job Search Universe is also available at www.jobsearchuniverse.com

For Jeff’s free recruiting ezine, NaturalSelection Ezine, to help human resources professionals, managers and business owners make even better hiring decisions, ,subscribe at www.naturalselectionezine.com . For information about personal job search services, go to www.VIPPersonalSearch.com.

If you would like Jeff and his firm to assist you with hiring staff, or if you would like help with a strategic job change, send an email to him at jeffaltman@cisny.com (If you’re looking for a new position, include your resume).

Do You Need to Relocate and Find a Job?

Are You Finding It Hard?

I often speak with people who need to relocate. Sometimes, they are moving because they need to be closer to family; some need to do so to accommodate a spouse whose career or academic pursuits require the entire family to move.

Whatever the reason may be, long distance job hunting tends to be far more difficult because firms don’t want to incur the expense or the logistical challenges. After all, for many of them, they believe there is an ample pool of talent near where they live so why should they bother? The result is, people who are not local seem to find the job search more challenging.

What can you do? There are a two main choices.

In your email that accompanies your resume, tell them the reason you want to move to their area. If you are willing to pay your own interview and relocation expenses, mention that, too.

A second choice comes from an email I received from a former subscriber, Pete, now from Virginia who was living outside of the US and kept finding that he was finishing second on his interviews. He switched his address to one in Miami where he had family. Once he did that, his interviews started to increase and he was hired to work for a firm in Virginia.

If you are moving to where you have family, use your family’s address on your resume and provide your cell phone. More firms will call you and give you a chance despite the only thing changing being the address on your resume.

Jeff Altman

The Big Game Hunter
Concepts in Staffing
jeffaltman@cisny.com

© 2006 all rights reserved.

Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter, is Managing Director with Concepts in Staffing, a New York search firm, He has successfully assisted many corporations identify management leaders and staff in technology, accounting, finance, sales, marketing and other disciplines since 1971. He is a certified leader of the ManKind Project, a not for profit organization that assists men with life issues, and a practicing psychotherapist.

To receive a daily digest of positions emailed to you, search job openings, use his free meta job lead tool or to subscribe Jeff’s free job search ezine, Head Hunt Your Next Job, go to, http://www.jeffaltman.com. To subscribe to Jeff’s free recruiting ezine, Natural Selection Ezine, subscribe at www.naturalselectionezine.com For information about personal search services, go to www.VIPPersonalSearch.com.

If you would like Jeff and his firm to assist you with hiring staff, or if you would like help with a strategic job change, send an email to him at jeffaltman@cisny.com (If you’re looking for a new position, include your resume).

Video Resumes: The Next Trend???

A newspaper reporter interviewed me recently for a story about vieo resumes. Sparked by a recent incident of a trainee for a Wall Street job, Aleksey Vayner, who sent a video resume called “Impossible is Nothing” that resulted in howls of laughter, ridicule, condemnation and a prominent position on YouTube.

According to Wikipedia, “Aleksey Vayner is a Yale student who became known after sending an 11 page resumé accompanied with a video in which he discusses his philosophy on success and shows off his physical prowess to various Wall Street firms.

In his 11 page resumé, Vayner claims that he: runs a charitable organization, is the CEO of an investment firm and has written a book on the Holocaust, among other things. Independent research has shown many of these claims to be false. His book was at least partially plagiarized, his investment firm's website lists a non-existent address and the charitable organization is using an unauthorized Charity Navigator logo.”

Putting aside the “errors” in his resume and watching the video, it proves the point I made to the reporter:

DON'T DO IT!

Very few people perform well in front of a camera in this context; very few people work with skillful enough interviewers to make you look good. Vayner’s video, including shots of him playing tennis, skiing, lifting weights, dancing and breaking bricks with him speaking over the scenes is symptomatic of how this form fails.

Now, for some fields—acting is the obvious example that comes to mind—the idea of an audition tape is considered normal and acceptable. But for almost all other occupations, it fails—plus it exposes you to the impact of bias in the work place.

For example, for older workers who have learned to disguise age in a resume through the absence of dates and deleting early job history, the video resume exposes you to age-ism. For the foreign born job seeker, it may expose your limitations in oral communications before a company has had a chance to see your real knowledge and get a sense of your ability. For the minority job seeker, it becomes another way racism can be rationalized.

So if you get an email solicitation to do a video for your job search, or if you have a well-meaning friend suggest to you this real cool idea, RUN!

Jeff Altman

The Big Game Hunter
Concepts in Staffing
jeffaltman@cisny.com

© 2006 all rights reserved.

Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter, is Managing Director with Concepts in Staffing, a New York search firm, He has successfully assisted many corporations identify management leaders and staff in technology, accounting, finance, sales, marketing and other disciplines since 1971. He is a certified leader of the ManKind Project, a not for profit organization that assists men with life issues, and a practicing psychotherapist.

To receive a daily digest of positions emailed to you, search job openings, use his free meta job lead tool or to subscribe Jeff’s free job search ezine, Head Hunt Your Next Job, go to, go to http://www.jeffaltman.com. To subscribe to Jeff’s free recruiting ezine, Natural Selection Ezine, subscribe at www.naturalselectionezine.com For information about personal search services, go to www.VIPPersonalSearch.com.

If you would like Jeff and his firm to assist you with hiring staff, or if you would like help with a strategic job change, send an email to him at jeffaltman@cisny.com (If you’re looking for a new position, include your resume).

Changing Careers?: Do You Know What You Need ?

While attending the New Kadampa festival in New York State, as is often the way of life, we met a couple who Sharon and Jack met previously in England. As is often the case, the wives talked about children and the men talked about work—but it was his wife’s.

She is teaching at a university and was thinking of leaving academia for industry. She has undergraduate and advanced degrees in applied math; I thought of her for quantitative jobs and asked:

Does she know what she needs to know to make the change in career? Meaning, has she spoken about different career alternatives and learned about the experience and training she will need to have?

When I was asked how to research new requirements for the field, I politely said that often guidance counselors, academic advisors and others in the career advice industry are lagging the field.

I offered a simple suggestion

Use Google.

Do a Google search for resumes in your new field in your region of the country and call up the person and speak with them? Tell them that you saw their resume on the web, weren’t trying to hire them but wanted to pick their brain.

Ask them about how they broke in and what their firm looks for in the way of training a and experience Ask if there are any industry groups you could point you to that you could join and then thank them profusely for their generosity.

Most people are very generous with their time as long as you aren’t abusive.

And then return the favor when someone calls you.

Jeff Altman
The Big Game Hunter
Concepts in Staffing
jeffaltman@cisny.com

© 2006 all rights reserved.

Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter, is Managing Director with Concepts in Staffing, a New York search firm, He has successfully assisted many corporations identify management leaders and staff in technology, accounting, finance, sales, marketing and other disciplines since 1971. He is a certified leader of the ManKind Project, a not for profit organization that assists men with life issues, and a practicing psychotherapist.


To receive a daily digest of positions emailed to you, search job openings, use his free meta job lead tool or to subscribe Jeff’s free job search ezine, Head Hunt Your Next Job, go to, http://www.jeffaltman.com. To subscribe to Jeff’s free recruiting ezine, Natural Selection Ezine, subscribe at www.naturalselectionezine.com For information about personal search services, go to www.VIPPersonalSearch.com.

If you would like Jeff and his firm to assist you with hiring staff, or if you would like help with a strategic job change, send an email to him at jeffaltman@cisny.com (If you’re looking for a new position, include your resume).