Do I Really Need to Fill in ALL Those D@$* Boxes When I Apply Online For a Job?

Applying to jobs online is a chore.

First, you upload your resume. Then, there's about three million boxes to fill in asking minute details from your job history, to your favorite color, to which Marvel superhero you'd like to be. Its no exaggeration that filling out an online application can take 30 minutes to an hour. Or longer.

You would think that just uploading your resume would be enough. Couldn't you just type into the boxes on the online application, "See resume?"

You could. But you might really be hurting your chances at snagging the job, or even at getting a second look.

Here's why:

1. Yes, your formatted resume is part of the package. But for the recruiters to do their searches, it helps when you fill in all the boxes, as you might add additional detail. In addition, recruiters might search by a specific field. For example, they might search the job history box for "Motorola" to see who worked there. If you just typed in "See resume," you won't come up on the search. There are a million ways to slice and dice your data, and you need to have your information in the right place to be seen. The good news is you can cut and past from your resume for many of these.
2. It's a test. And the first thing a company will want to see is that you can follow instructions. If you don't enter in the boxes what they're asking for, you don't pass the first test.

Banal? Yep.

Boring? Absolutely.

Necessary? Probably.

Try to remember that job hunting can be a full time job. And some of that time is spent playing the game - which, in this case, means filling in a bunch of little boxes.

Scott Singer is the President and Founder of Insider Career Strategies Resume Writing & Career Coaching, a firm dedicated to guiding job seekers and companies through the job search and hiring process. He is a Human Resources professional and staffing expert with almost two decades of in-house corporate HR and staffing firm experience, and is a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) and Certified Professional Career Coach (CPCC).

Insider Career Strategies provides resume writing, LinkedIn profile development, and career coaching services, including a free resume review. You can email Scott Singer at scott.singer@insidercs.com, or via the website, www.insidercs.com.

Oh Boy! I Just Went In To Quit, and My Company Gave Me a Counter-Offer! I Can't Wait To... Um... Huh.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

About a month ago, a recruiter contacted you about a new job opportunity. Truth be told, you were getting a little bored in your current job, so the timing was good. You updated your résumé, went on the interviews, and hot-diggety-dog - you got the job! As a matter of fact, you received a written job offer, and accepted the position.

You ask to speak with your manager so that you can resign. After sauntering into his office, you thank him for the opportunity to work with the company, and you hand him your resignation letter.

You read the panic in your manager's eyes. Your resignation is now his very problem. Your projects are now his projects, and he's going to need to replace you. He asks you about your new job - responsibilities, salary, title. Then he thanks for you for coming into his office.

A couple hours later, your manager asks you if you could step into his office for a few minutes. He's holding an envelope in his hand.

He closes the door. After telling you how much they value you at the company and that he would like you reconsider your decision, he hands you the envelope he's been holding.

You open the envelope. Inside is a counter-offer. Your company would like you to stick around. And to do so, they are offering you more money. In fact, it's a raise greater than than the other company offered you. In addition, they're offering you an increase in job title, too.

You're puzzled. Okay, maybe your last performance review was good, but you were told at the time that you "need more time in your current position to master your job before being ready for a promotion."

What do you do?

Companies give counter-offers for many possible reasons. The two biggies are:

• They value you a great deal. They weren't able to push through a raise / promotion / etc. before, but now you've given them a compelling reason to fight and make it happen.
• They need your skills - right now. And it would be painful to replace you.

It's nice to be wanted. Really nice. And few things feel nicer than your boss showering you with compliments and cash to stick around.

But counter-offers are tricky business. Before accepting any counter-offer, consider the following:

• The company makes a counter-offer from a position of weakness - they need you, and you're leaving. Although they may be giving you incentive to stay, their position of weakness ends the moment you decide to stick around.
• What does it say that the company needs you to have a competing offer in order to provide you with a raise or promotion?
• I've heard of people who have successfully leveraged a counter-offer into a better situation for themselves at work.
• Some companies may extend a counter-offer to keep you around, while in the meantime they simultaneously conduct a confidential search to hire somebody new into your job. Your acceptance of the counter offer buys them the time to find an individual who hasn't demonstrated "disloyalty" to them.
• Accepting a company's counter-offer tells them that you have a price.
• Remember why you decided to explore other job opportunities to begin with. If you were frustrated with the environment, that's certainly not going to change. Ditto for your boss, the commute, and the business model.
• By accepting a counter-offer, you will burn a bridge with the other company who originally extended you an offer. They were expecting you to join them, and now you've screwed up their plans.

Scott Singer is the President and Founder of Insider Career Strategies Resume Writing & Career Coaching, a firm dedicated to guiding job seekers and companies through the job search and hiring process. He is a Human Resources professional and staffing expert with almost two decades of in-house corporate HR and staffing firm experience, and is a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) and Certified Professional Career Coach (CPCC).

Insider Career Strategies provides resume writing, LinkedIn profile development, and career coaching services, including a free resume review. You can email Scott Singer at scott.singer@insidercs.com, or via the website, www.insidercs.com.

Job Hunting Zen Thought of the Week – July 10, 2015

Here is your Job Hunting Zen Thought of the Week!

You really wanted the job, but you didn't get it.

The company decided to pursue another individual for the job. You were told this occurred because they felt the other person was a better "cultural fit."

What they didn't tell you was that the previous three people in the position failed in the role. The critical stakeholders essential to this role's success conspired to have all previous people in the position removed.

Sometimes failing to get the job can be considered a small victory.

Scott Singer is the President and Founder of Insider Career Strategies Resume Writing & Career Coaching, a firm dedicated to guiding job seekers and companies through the job search and hiring process. He is a Human Resources professional and staffing expert with almost two decades of in-house corporate HR and staffing firm experience, and is a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) and Certified Professional Career Coach (CPCC).

Insider Career Strategies provides resume writing, LinkedIn profile development, and career coaching services, including a free resume review. You can email Scott Singer at scott.singer@insidercs.com, or via the website, www.insidercs.com.