Sunday, September 19, 2010

“Salesman needs to think of himself as the product in his job search” plus 1 more

“Salesman needs to think of himself as the product in his job search” plus 1 more

Salesman needs to think of himself as the product in his job search

Posted: 19 Sep 2010 02:59 AM PDT

For Adam Lomba of Marshfield, being on unemployment feels like wearing an ill-fitting suit. He turned 35 a few weeks ago and has been continuously working since the age of 16. So, Lomba, who for much of his career has worked in sales, still wakes up at 5:15 in the morning to shower, start household projects and errands, and then, he jumps on the computer.

"Being out of work feels like I'm in a very unfamiliar place now,'' said Lomba. "It really hit my psyche in a big way.''

Lomba, a father of four, was laid off last winter from his job as a commercial insurance agent for a large, privately owned New England insurance group. He quickly began his search for a new sales position, submitting applications and resumes to a wide range of companies, and networking with former co-workers. But when responses to his job search were less then favorable, Lomba sought the help of a Boston Globe Career Makeover.

Elizabeth Freedman, a career and workplace consultant who is also the author of "Work 101: Learning the Ropes of the Workplace without Hanging Yourself,'' said that the lackluster feedback to Lomba's online applications was a sign of the times, with the continued high unemployment rate and an overabundance of qualified candidates.

"In a tough economy, one job posting can receive as many as 700 applications,'' said Freedman. "People vastly underestimate how long a job search can take, especially with other responsibilities. Getting a job is a full-time job. You need to water the plant every day, versus dumping a bucket of water on it once a week.''

But Freedman said Lomba has a tremendous advantage over most job seekers because he's a former luxury car salesman who can boast of high customer satisfaction, repeat clientele, and a leading record in his dealership. He also has a high tolerance for risk, having worked successfully on 100 percent commission, and he's done a great job leveraging his network for potential job leads.

"But it's one thing to be able to successfully sell a product and another to sell yourself,'' said Freedman, who suggested Lomba apply his sales expertise to his job search.

First, Freedman suggests that Lomba sell himself with a user-friendly resume that shouts out with a powerful headline, such as "Customer Driven Sales Professional'' or "High-Impact Sales Representative.'' She suggested Lomba uncover the gems buried in paragraphs in his resume by using succinct bullet points.

Freedman also advised that Lomba use stronger language on his profile on the networking website LinkedIn, and that he beef up his LinkedIn profile, asking for recommendations to strengthen his online presence. To make it easier for busy colleagues, he could even draft the wording of these recommendations himself and then ask for approval or editing.

Freedman also recommended a change in strategy for Lomba: think of the job search process as an onion, with the intended job or career in the center. "Many job seekers fall into the trap of applying to anything with a heartbeat out of desperation, but when you do this, you wind up wasting time and energy — plus, you're competing against people who may be more focused or qualified for the position,'' she said.

Instead, Lomba should choose two or three industries, Freedman said, possibly focusing on companies that sell products he admires and uses. Likewise, he should "work the layers'' of his onion, reaching beyond the first layer — former employers, friends, family — to reach out to five new people a week in a regular, systematic way.

"A ramp-up period is part of the sales process, especially when it comes to a job search, so ongoing, consistent action is key,'' Freedman said.

Finally, since Lomba's unemployment benefits expire in January, Freedman said that he needs to be practical and think about a Plan B. He was reluctant to go back to a car dealership, since the work requires long hours, but perhaps he could find a more family-friendly environment or even parlay this experience into a related field.

With Freedman's advice in hand, one thing was clear: Lomba considers himself a born salesman. "I love sales, the chase, the catch, the close,'' Lomba said. "I'm a quick study, and I'm not afraid to work hard.''

To be considered for a Career Makeover, send an e-mail to careermakeover@globe.com.

© Copyright 2010 Globe Newspaper Company.

This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php
Five Filters featured article: Beyond Hiroshima - The Non-Reporting of Falluja's Cancer Catastrophe.

Desperate job seekers get creative: God is a reference?

Posted: 19 Sep 2010 04:26 AM PDT

[fivefilters.org: unable to retrieve full-text content]

With resumes flooding into employers, job applicants are getting creative. One sent a photo of her cat above her resume. Another listed God as a reference -- no phone number or e-mail address listed. A lot of the resumes from these job hunters either go straight to the inactive file or the waste-paper basket -- but not before giving the human resources department a few laughs first. A study ...
Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)