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3 Interviewing Lessons Learned While Out on the Job Search

In the last 2 weeks, I’ve had several interviews of such vastly different styles, I thought sharing some perspectives might help you in your job search. For example, I’ve learned to discern what questions I need to ask up front before going to the interview location. While it is gratifying to be asked to interviews these days, any interview should still have a reasonable return on time and energy, given I need to focus all my time and energy on finding and landing a job.

 

One of the three interviews is definitely a nomination for the comedy category. This firm had posted for some rather engaging and fun marketing positions involving local products for the local market. So I submitted my resume thinking a local position would be ideal given my young sons, allowing me to simplify my commuting/care-giving situation. Within 3 days, a very, very happy person called me about my “perfect” background for their jobs. She called herself a recruiter for this company and said she was working with the hiring managers to screen the resumes, and mine had made the cut. It sounded reasonable, so I accepted her suggested time and date and waited to receive driving directions by email.

 

Red Flag #1: The word “perfect” for the job -- really nobody is perfect.

 

Red Flag #2: The directions were very poor and not really written to be sure a candidate would find the firm.

 

Red Flag #3: This is a big one. The recruiter was sitting in the company’s reception area, busy making personal calls while I waited for the actual interviewer.

 

Red Flag #4: The application form resembled an ancient mimeograph machine copy (do these machines even still exist?) and looked very unprofessional.

 

Red Flag #5: This is the last one, and pretty big at that -- the style of the interviewer. Both in a fashion sense and professional approach, the interview was a comedy of errors on the interviewer’s part. As always, I was dressed appropriately in my best interview suit with a resume in hand and a list of prepared questions for the interviewer. The interviewer could barely tell me her name and had zero answers about the firm’s business model for marketing their local products. I rephrased the questions several times and was only told I needed to stay “glued to my cell phone” so they could invite me back to an open house.

 

Interviewing Lesson Learned: On the phone, I should have clarified the job description I was interviewing for. That in itself would have ferreted out this firm’s nonsense approach, because they would have been equally as evasive on the phone as in person. Fortunately, I found the humor in this interview and it hadn’t been such a far drive for me.

 

The next interview was a very serious one at a regional, well-respected firm that drives multimillion-dollar building projects. All the preparation was done by an external recruiter who was very professional and excellent in following up to set the stage for the interview. The top HR person interviewed me for twice as long as the allotted time. It was a solid dialogue about my accomplishments and the benefits I could bring to this firm. However, at one point in the dialogue, the HR person mentioned he liked and had fun interviewing all sorts of people given the diversity of dialogues he could have with the job seekers.

 

Interviewing Lesson Learned: While it is nice to have a good dialogue with the interviewer, it has to be for a specific end result in landing a position. Hopefully, landing a job with this firm continues to be an option and I wasn’t just the half-time entertainer.

 

The third lesson learned came from a recent interview with a national firm that has local offices specializing in consumer products. The interview was set up as very casual, but professional. I was asked to bring any public domain materials of work that demonstrated a track record of success. I was prepared in all aspects. But it turned out the hiring manager only had a 15-minute “screening” type of interview in mind and just wanted to focus on a reality check of working with customers and consumers. The next steps are the actual further interviews to begin in a few weeks.

 

Interviewing Lesson Learned: I should have asked on the phone about the time allotted for this interview or how long I needed to plan for my parking space.

 

What lessons have you learned and are now incorporating into your future interviewing experiences? Any that have made a key difference when you leveraged a lesson learned?

 

For more job interview tips, check out Monster’s Interview Advice.

 

Leveraging Skills Learned from Past Jobs When Interviewing for Your Next Job

Over the past few months in my job search, several wise hiring-firm insiders have told me that if you are brought in for an on-site interview, it means you are considered to have the skills needed to meet the job requirements. So the interview is mostly about your fit with the company’s culture. That said, almost everyone has once held less-than-glamorous job but has been able to move on and adapt to a new company culture. And tales of these jobs offer insights to potential employers about your capabilities that could get you invited for a second interview or even a job offer.

 

Often the past jobs that seemed rather unattractive at the time did have value beyond the money earned. Many folks learn certain skills or characteristics they can leverage in the job search when going for a new position. One of my favorite colleagues, who had a real nuts-and-bolts industrial job, really appreciated the hard work he had put in on the factory floor for many years while he earned his degree. The job he had was a very smelly one -- he was in charge of applying a paste to a surface that was then baked. This paste-and-surface combination was very fragrant. And if he did not properly apply the paste while crawling under moving machinery, then a very expensive piece of material became useless to the company. His job function was critical to the firm, and he learned he had to do his job 100% every single time. As a result, he can speak with confidence in job interviews about the importance of meticulously doing a task right with complete accuracy the first time out of the gate.

 

A sporting friend of mine worked as a lifeguard for a local community center for many summers. Given the center was funded by local taxes, the lifeguards also had other tasks when they were not working the guard stands in the pool areas. One such task was to service the bathrooms and locker rooms. This involved using lots of chlorine and other sanitizing products on the floors and surfaces of the facilities. My friend had the ability to clean the facilities with a smile on her face as she always kept in mind that if the restrooms were clean, then most likely the people entering the pools were clean. While this work was not glamorous, it was necessary to keep the community center up and running and in compliance with local health laws. If the community center had been shut down, she would have lost her revenue stream. She’s able to express this past work experience as an integral part of keeping a business afloat to not only her own financial benefit, but also to the benefit of the greater community, literally.

 

Yet another job seeking compatriot had the opportunity to drive a forklift for several months. Her firm had a slight labor disruption at the factory and many of the employees had to step up to the plate to keep the customers satisfied with product shipments. While driving a forklift is an unusual skill and very useful if you wish to be on the factory floor, it doesn’t fit in with my friend’s normal corporate persona. However, she can prove to prospective employers she is willing to roll up her sleeves and do whatever it takes to keep the customer happy. After all, the customer pays the bills and she’s demonstrated exceptional customer service by extending herself.

 

What unusual skills have you gained from past experiences that you can leverage to set yourself apart from other job seekers?

 

For more about how to promote your skills in your job search, check out these articles:

 

· “Assessing Your Skills”

· “Showcase Marketable Skills in Your Resume Skills Section”

· “The Skills You Have and the Skills They Want”

 

Everything Happens in Threes, Including Random Acts of Kindness for My Job Search

It is true -- everything happens in threes. For example, over the past weekend I had three very near misses in traffic accidents. I was particularly stressed out that my young sons were in the car each time. The last near-miss was on a beautiful Sunday afternoon and was very scary as it happened right in front of my eyes in that cliché type of slow motion.

 

But what three things have come to light in my ongoing job search? Well, for me, it has been three individuals who have demonstrated random acts of kindness to help me in my job search.

 

One individual is a partner in a small, boutique consulting and recruitment business. She came to my attention via one of my job search networking groups, because she volunteers her time to job seekers. I thought I had nothing to lose, so why not sign up for a time slot with her? We fixed a date, and a few days later I was in her office. I was pleasantly surprised in her helpfulness and kindness in sharing her insights -- and giving up her earning time. Some of her specific ideas have helped me break through the clutter in getting noticed for various job opportunities. She basically gave me the ammunition to be armed with the heavy artillery in the job search quest.

 

Another standout individual was someone I met socially at a weekend BBQ. She knew of my job search efforts given the amusing T-shirts my sons wore to this event soliciting work for Mommy. As we spoke, she extended herself to helping me network with a key employer in our area. She even went back across several lawns to her house to retrieve her business card and gave it to me at the end of BBQ. In the next couple of days, she stayed true to her word and helped me navigate the twists and turns in networking with this employer. Her kids were also at the party and enjoyed playing with my children, so there was common bonding happening on a generational level.

 

The third individual who stands out is someone I have never spoken to live nor met in person. I know it sounds odd, however, some folks seem to do their nicest work by email. In this case, it was a recruiter seeking to fill a very specific position. While I wasn’t a fit for that job, I was able to refer him to three individuals who might be. I thought that would be the end of our transaction. Lo and behold, this recruiter has reached out a few times to let me know he hasn’t found suitable matches yet but that he was still keeping me in mind during his placement fulfillments.

 

It sounds kind of corny, but had I not become unemployed, I would not be meeting such a wide variety of interesting and very kind individuals. While employed, I just stayed focused on the job tasks at hand, and then off hours, I took care of my young family. I didn’t venture out of my normal routine and circle of friends and family much. Surprisingly, you can depend on the kindness of strangers -- after all, strangers are only friends you haven’t met yet.

 

Have you experienced any random or not-so-random acts of kindness during your job search? How has it lifted your spirits or otherwise impacted you?

 

The Ins and Outs of Job Search Networking Groups

One small silver lining to being unemployed in this particular recession is that there’s a lot of company, so you don’t have to go at it alone! At present, I attend 3 job search networking groups on a fairly regular basis. One meets weekly, another bimonthly and yet another monthly. I also have at least 2 others I try to attend monthly, time permitting.

 

Certainly, the weekly support group has brought me the most reassurance when it comes to the job search steps I’m taking along the way. This group has existed several years and has solid ground rules for participation. I joined about a month into my job search, once I felt my resume was fairly robust. My resume was actually one of the first items this club helped me with. The multiple pairs of eyes were able to pick some of the fine nuances that I couldn’t see even if I stared at the resume until the cows came home.

 

One key rule of this weekly group is that you have to show up weekly. These job search support groups are only viable and helpful as long as the membership is fairly consistent and thrives off the interplay of its members. Of course, if you land a position, you are excused from weekly attendance. In fact, you get a mini-party from the group once you secure a job.

 

Another great guideline I really enjoy seeing in action is that you have to ask the other group members how they can specifically help you each week. This request for help gives you the additional tool and/or momentum you need to continue your job search for the subsequent week. When it’s your turn to ask for job search help, you have to be forward-thinking and not use the air-time to vent or gripe. Given the diversity of job functionalities in this group, you receive many unique points of view that are often spot-on in their guidance. And with the frequent cadence of the meetings, your personality and background are fairly well-known in short order.

 

The bimonthly job search networking group was started by a job seeker who didn’t find his discipline well-represented in an existing club. As a result, this job support group is focused on a functional skill set with members from a wider geographic draw. This group meets in various local libraries that offer free community room usage. One meeting a month is a classic support group-style meeting, and the other meeting of the month typically has an outside speaker to bring various helpful job search hints to the table.

 

In between meetings, this group stays tied together with a supportive and humorous email chain. We often share job leads and postings on an almost daily basis. While one person’s job opportunity may not be a good fit, it may be another person’s prize position. The one thing you can’t do in this group is sell any services to other members. That behavior belongs in the open market, not in a job support group.

 

The monthly group is more of a professional organizational group. They focus very heavily on the networking part of the job search process and hold events designed for that objective. For example, one was called “Martinis and Self-Marketing.” Once in a blue moon after many rejections, a martini sounds like a good idea. Even if there is a featured speaker, the networking part of the meeting comes first and lasts a solid hour. I always remember to bring lots of self-branded business cards and even once came close to running out given the wide variety of networking opportunities that stemmed from this meeting.

 

Whether the group meets weekly, bimonthly or monthly, I always find golden nuggets to extract from each gathering. How have such groups been helpful to your job search?

 

5 Tips to Protect Yourself (and Your Wallet) from Job Search Scams

Despite my best efforts in tailoring my resume to professional interests at legitimate companies, the Internet can sometimes be something of a wild west frontier. Given a few unique experiences that came to my attention recently, I thought it would be helpful to share 5 tips for protecting yourself in your job search.

#1 Confidentiality

I’ve used special privacy settings when it comes to my personal information when posting to job boards. This helps limit unknown exposures to unknown entities doing pharming or phishing.

#2 Don’t Open Your Wallet -- or E-Wallet -- at All!

Be very, very leery of anyone who asks for your hard-earned money before any job-related action happens. Entertaining such requests could even make you “an accomplice” and potentially land you in jail -- EEK!  Ending up in jail can really solve your unemployment status! 

For example, out of the blue and unsolicited, I received something I call the "Prince of Poland" email solicitation. It was a rather poorly written request for monetary engagement based on a "real job" tied back to Poland. The format and pleas for participation in this online job seemed reminiscent of the recent Internet scams from a "Prince in XYZ African country with frozen bank accounts." Only you providing a check and bank account would free the poor prince’s assets, in compensation you would receive a certain percentage. Using your bank accounts for this type of activity opens you up to being considered a criminal -- the last headache any job seeker needs!  Of course, I won't spend my money on this very rich African Prince, nor will I have any dealings with the Polish job market from this side of the pond.

Always ask a trusted friend or a real breathing member of your network for a reality check. Ironically, one of my best running buddies is a well-credentialed, serious business leader who grew up in Poland. She was incredulous when she reviewed the content written by this Prince of Poland.

#3 Dig Deep When Confronted with an ‘Opportunity’

Be courageous and ask blind callers lots of questions to really protect your bottom line! Just before the holiday weekend, I received a surprise phone call from what almost seemed to be a recruiter. At first blush, I had a tough time discerning exactly who was calling me and why they kept saying they had been trying to reach me since July. A real recruiter will be up front about a job opportunity in the first 3 minutes of the call since they don’t want to waste their own time either. Once I clarified who the caller was, she proceeded to share some funny insights about my resume. She kept insisting my resume was a big mess with jumbled up dates. I happened to have an open version of my resume online when I received this call. I told her I could fax a clean copy right away and I was mystified that my resume was a mess, since none of the previous 200-plus people who viewed it had any difficulties. In reality, she was just trying to get me to hire her firm to help my job search.

 #4 Your Time Is Worth Money!

Don’t give up more than 20 minutes on a preliminary screening phone call. Continuing the story of the above example, the caller (who refused to tell me how she found my cell number)  then tried to schedule a full hour of my time the next week to better explain why I needed her services to land my next job. I pushed back, because I had nothing in writing from them about their services. The woman continued the conversation, trying to instill fear that all my job networking efforts were futile and a waste. Out of curiosity, I gave her my email to receive their materials for marketing inspection. The caller insisted the firm’s video clip was wso golden and had a “can't miss” explanation about job searching. In actuality, it was a good video, but not breakthrough in terms of job search impact. Many of the points seemed rather weak. After 17 minutes, I lost interest and decided the local weather was more engaging.

 #5 If It Is Too Good to Be True, It Is!

Yes, Grandma’s wisdom should ring very loudly in your job search. It will be interesting to see if the above firm calls me back, as I was very dubious and frank about my disinterest. I think they will have a very high price tag for work that you basically have to do yourself anyway. I also felt as if this caller was working from some sort of script (including what to do with objections such as mine) as it was too buttoned up. Several times I asked this caller what the costs were point blank, and I received a vague “there’s no cost to you yet.”  My radar lights went off, since nobody offers you anything for free!

According to Monster.com’s Compliance and Fraud Prevention Team, Monster.com takes measures to provide the safest possible environment for job seeking and career management. Regrettably, all online companies are susceptible to occasional scams, but you can protect yourself. Check out the articles and resources they’ve put together in Monster.com’s Security Center. And if you see a questionable job posting or any potential misuse of the Monster.com’s Web site or its brand, please report the suspected fraud.

How do you deal with the not-so-fine line of legitimate job search solicitations and those that are not in your best professional interests?

Juggling Motherhood and the Full-Time Job of Finding Work

The recent holiday weekend was a good milestone to assess how far I've come in my job search as well as bringing me to a turning, semi-crisis point. My young sons’ caregiver is returning to university in her country now that her year as an au pair is done here. Having paid all of her fees last year while I was still employed, it made sense to keep her engaged for her manageable weekly pay until the end of the summer. So I've had to make a number of choices and arrangements to manage child care and my full-fledged job search going forward. Nonetheless, I am rather stressed and conflicted despite the logic I applied to the choices.

 

I've decided to take a bit of a hiatus in my job search for just 2 weeks until my mother, bless her, is able to pitch in with child care for 4 weeks. So for the next 10 business days, my job search work will be conducted only during the hours the boys sleep, as I'll be their daytime caregiver. Within those 10 days, I have one all-day teaching gig, so I planned ahead and have spliced together 2 friends for kiddie coverage.

 

A few other retired teacher friends are willing to pitch in some hours here and there should I get an interview scheduled, which is likely given several screenings from before the long weekend. Even for a scheduled phone interview, I'll need peace and quiet and someone to watch the boys. I've put some friends on notice and hope to be able to give them ample time, but I don't want to wait to schedule an interview. I need to be viewed as an employee who is not burdened with single-parent concerns as it may unwittingly put a slight prejudice against my candidacy for a position, so I need keep my child-care concerns out of a potential employer’s view. I want to be the best possible candidate without the small "but" coming up during key stakeholder conversations for a job offer.

 

While I have the essential job search obligations covered while I’m caring for Owen and Evan, I am distressed at the number of networking events I will need to pass on. For example, my local project management chapter is having its kick-off for the year this week, and it is a fabulously well-attended networking event with up to 200 folks and a great deal of interest from local employers. I'm also missing out on the Marketing & Martini Mixer featuring Speed Networking from the greater metro area marketing group. That is a really cool one, but it has an undefined ROI for me as well as a two-hour plus drive. On a much smaller scale, I’ll be missing out on two local job-hunting groups that offer seminars and tips. It seems everyone kicks off events, right after Labor Day, but I don't feel I can cash in all my friends' good will by also using them for these "nice-to-do" job events.

 

For 3 out of 4 of these events, I will be able to sound out a few of my fellow job seeker friends and get their reports back. But it is just not the same as being there in person. Fortunately, it is only a two-week gap in my job search, and the night hours are great for online networking and follow-ups. Then with my mother's help full-time, I'll be able to arrange my job searching days as I had with my au pair. To give my mother and myself a small break, I've managed to find a nice young college student with licensed day care center experience. She'll be able to take care of the boys for 10 hours a week at a very reasonable fee but already has another job.

 

So far, my planning seems like a crazy patchwork quilt, but it is all with people my sons know and trust. Additionally, my mother and friends all understand and fully support my main educational points for my sons in addition to any structured preschool coming down the pike. So it is reassuring to have consistency in that regard as well.

 

When my mother leaves in 6 weeks, I'll have planned my next steps for kiddie coverage. As they say, one day at a time. And who knows? I might land a decent position with on-site day care that won't bankrupt me or my sons’ college educations.

 

Do you have any personal dilemmas such as child, elder or other care that impacts your job search? How do you address those challenges?

 

For more tips on balancing work and family obligations, check out these articles:

 

* "Tips for Working Mothers"

* "Manage Work and a Family Crisis"

* "How to Get a Flexible Schedule"

* "The Sandwich Generation Balances Children and Elderly Parents"

 

Is It Time for an International Job Search?

Recently, a friend sent me a link to job postings showing a wide variety of positions for marketing in India. Given the range of opportunities, it appears there is a hiring wave for technical marketing positions in India. So should I move where the jobs are? As they say, if the mountain can’t come to Mohammed, then Mohammed should go to the mountain.

 

This could be an interesting solution to my unemployment status as well as give me a unique global expertise that few other folks possess. Additionally, it would allow my young sons to learn about another culture and possibly another language (Hindi?) in their formative years. Not only would their mother gain a competitive skill but so would they, and it would enrich them for life. The only downside is that their elderly grandparents won’t be able to make the long trip to another continent to visit them.

 

While pondered this possibility, I think back to my two previous assignments overseas and the skills I learned while working abroad. In both cases the firms that transplanted me had to do the paperwork required of American citizens so I was able to legally work and reside in those countries. The firms were able to support such a move for me since I already had the job in the US and the fluent foreign language skills needed for working in that country. I learned extreme patience when it came to filing with the respective consulates to secure the proper visas and documents.

 

In addition to moving my job, I also had to move my household overseas. In order to simplify things given unique electrical and different “norms” (standardization of sizes according to DIN), I moved mostly clothing and other personal items and rented furnished apartments. While the furnishings may have not been 100% my style, the ease in having a household set up allowed me to focus on my professional tasks in a new culture. There is only so much adjustment an individual can absorb in the first few weeks -- or even months -- at a new cultural location. 

 

I chose to live in a residential area, which was helpful in being networked into the new community rather than socializing strictly with other Americans. Plugging into the local environments translated to better understandings in the foreign corporate setting. Getting up to speed on the local sporting and arts scenes also helped me break the ice with new colleagues. It eliminated the “us vs. them” mentality.

 

While I was able to successfully live and work abroad as an individual, will I be able to do the same now with a small family in tow? At the end of the analysis, I have to financially support my family, so relocation to India -- or even LA -- may be a consideration that requires thought and preparation.

 

How do you see your own possibilities in pulling up stakes to gain employment?

 

If you’re thinking about conducting an international job search, these articles can help:

 

   * “5 Strategies for Finding Work Abroad”

   * “What to Expect in an Overseas Relocation Package”

   * “Family Life and a Job Abroad”

 

6 Reasons Not to Be Lulled into the Unemployed Mindset

As summer draws to a close and the children get ready to go back to school, it seems natural to get ready to go back to work. But wait: Work isn’t there!

 

How did the summer pass by so quickly for a few of my fellow unemployed colleagues without them really being fully aware of being unemployed? They were lulled into a nice comfortable zone of thinking that the job search can wait for another day. Much like a warm summer breeze lulling you to sleep in a hammock under a shady tree, why shouldn’t a job seeker be lulled into the mindset of being unemployed?

 

#1: Something called Time Value of Money. As I understand this finance term, it can be applied to anything in life. Any delays in having a revenue stream decrease the upside in your earned Time Value of Money for the future. This is particularly important if you have children to put through college and need to save money now for compounded interest growth

 

#2: Your competition is searching for a job while you might not be. You may be the better job candidate, but if you aren’t visible in the job market, your competition may get all the prizes

 

#3: Potential employers’ perception of you being unemployed without any concrete activity or demonstrable answers about what you have been doing with your time since being downsized. ”Oh, I spent a few weeks at the beach with my kids while they were off from school.” Doing that all 12 summer weeks doesn’t really sit well with recruiters and other hiring managers

 

#4: Lack of fire in the belly in your job search comes out verbally in your daily conversations with friends and family who know about your job status. They will start to wonder, “Gee, what’s wrong with John? Why can’t he find a job?”

 

#5: Having a beautifully maintained yard or well-organized house given extra time on your hands as a result of being unemployed may be a strong indicator that your energies devoted to your job search have been lulled to sleep. It’s really hard and requires substantial effort to recover the momentum in job searching after a lull or hiatus. It’s much easier to just keeping moving at a steady pace. Think about having to push a car into gear versus just rolling along (like the VW camper scenes of starting from a dead stop in the movie Little Miss Sunshine).

 

#6: You have skills and talent to contribute to an organization and deserve to be compensated for such attributes. Letting yourself settle into the unemployment mindset begins to dull your sharpness in being a more meaningful member of any organization (public, private, nonprofit). It’s a slippery slope, and you simply need to not allow it start happening. Exercise your mind as well as your body during unemployment -- it will make you much fitter all around.

 

Those are my 6 reasons for why you need to avoid the unemployed mindset. So how do you combat the pull of being lulled in?

 

Good vs. Cheesy Ways to Stand Out from the Job Search Competition

Recently, one of my fellow job seekers in my weekly support group meetings said, “It’s getting rough out there!” She’s under 32, dynamic and has a solid resume for her specific industry. She’s troubled that she has networked and applied for all these positions yet has still not found the right job fit after 6 months of unemployment. She attributes her lack of landing a job to the thousands of folks with great skills competing against her for the same positions. So how can she stand out from the masses in her job search?

 

Should she stand out on the corner of a busy intersection with a sign that says “will work for food”? No, that’s clearly too cheesy for a professional. However, in her industry, entertainment, she may wish to provide something about her background that is -- entertaining! Wouldn’t that cut through the pile of resumes and capture a decision maker’s attention?

 

If I were her, I would use the simple technology easily available these days and include a speaking resume tied to a theme song -- it is used widely in the greeting card industry. I’ve bought a few musical cards in the last year for special occasions, as I knew the card would bring a smile to the recipient’s face. Of course, such a specialized resume message must reflect an understanding of the company’s business and why she’s the best candidate. Time-consuming? Yes, but well worth it, if it lands you the right job.

 

While my target industries are not as entertaining, there are unique ways for me to differentiate myself. How did I figure out what they are? I asked a few key business people who always loved my skill sets about what they considered to be unique about my capabilities. Somehow, they can see what I can’t. So my informal sounding board told me that I really need to showcase my international business acumen as demonstrated by two expatriate positions. That global work experience is rather unique and speaks volumes to capabilities not typically found in most marketing veterans.

 

Now a cheesy way for me to demonstrate this would be to create my own Web page and have little video clips of me in local dress speaking the language and doing something cliché in setting depicting that culture, like the old “Saturday Night Live” Hans and Franz skit. Eye-catching and funny? Yes! Professional? No!

 

A professional approach would be to cull out testimonials from international customers that would attest to how I made a difference in their customer satisfaction through my proactive marketing actions. I’ve collected these testimonials in one document in a rather linear order. I just need to fine-tune them and apply them creativity to really make it stand out as its own piece.

 

What potentially cheesy approaches to standing out from the crowd of job seekers have you turned into a professional differentiation tool in your job search?