We all know we're in the midst of a deep recession. Almost everyday plastics companies are announcing job cuts, and the unemployment rate in the U.S. is at worrisome levels.
The competition for plastics job openings is getting fiercer, so it's important that you use all the tools available to you to land the plastics job you want.
Let’s take a look at some of the key principles of a successful plastics job search...
Write a resume that gets you noticed
Your resume needs to be much more than a chronological list of all the jobs you’ve held.
You need to sell yourself in less than 30 seconds.
If a plastics recruiter, or a company's hiring manger, can’t tell what value you bring to the table when scanning your resume, you're toast.
There are simply more candidates than there are openings right now.
To grab an employer’s attention, your resume needs to be focused on the exact job for which you're applying.
Create a resume template that has the basic information that applies to most jobs. Then for every job you are applying for, zoom-in on the attributes that the job post lists as critical.
For example, if the position requires extensive experience in a niche, let's say ISO 13485, then put right up front your ISO 13485 qualifications.
Don't bury them in your resume and make the hiring manager search for them, because they won't.
Even if ISO 13485 was only a relatively small part of your overall experience, it should take a large proportion of the message in your resume.
But don’t stop there.
What's unique about your plastics experience that would distinguish you from all the other candidates with ISO 13485 on their resume?
Perhaps you have worked for a competitor?
Or maybe the job opening is near you geographically?
Build a resume that says: “Wow, this person is perfect for this position!”
If you honestly don’t feel you can build a resume that conveys this message for the position which you are applying for, perhaps you should move-on and keep searching, instead of wasting time sending a generic resume that will end up in the trash.
Use technology to your advantage
Create e-mail alerts for plastics job openings that match your search criteria. Do this using Google Alerts.
Knock-their-socks-off during the interview
Your goal during the search is to get to an interview. Treat it seriously.
Most importantly, prepare for the interview. Read everything you possibly can about the company. Go the extra mile.
If possible, get a good understanding of the annual sales, recent acquisitions, etc. If you're applying for a public company this information is readily available online.
Practice for your interview with a friend in the plastics industry. Have your friend ask you questions that are likely to come-up and respond as if you were there.
Make sure you know exactly what to say when they ask about your strengths & weaknesses. Don’t try to wing-it during the interview.
Getting a job in this market can be challenging. But most people will not bother to follow the simple advice listed above.
By committing to doing the basics suggested in this article you are already several steps ahead of the competition, and you are much more likely to achieve success in your search.
One thing I haven't mentioned yet...
Work with a recruiter, even when you're not looking
Whether or not you're ready to make a move, at J.H. Dugan & Company, we keep a proprietary database of active & passive candidates' resumes.
When we're working on an assignment, one of the many things we do is to go to our database and perform a search.
It behooves even passive candidates, those not looking, to get their updated resume into our database.
You might be happy where you are now, but if the right opportunity came-up, you would want to know about it, wouldn't you?
Please send me your resume right now.
Managing Partner
J.H. Dugan & Company
Chicago
1-800-284-1589
e-mail
www.PlasticsJobsRecruiters.com
hey i did everything you said. Thanks
http://www.filecatch.com/trends/kw/10-08-2010.html
Posted by: Claire | 08/11/2010 at 12:05 PM