Get a Job in 30 Days

Latest job openings

2010-01-12T12:16:00.001-08:00

I wanted to let you know about three great job opportunities. If you are interested, please send me an email with your most recent resume and specify which opportunity you are interested in.

#1 Washington DC based Senior Sales Rep. This is a hunter position with an IT services firm and will require relocation. Compensation is in he $200K+ range and you will be responsible for generating upwards of $1.5M in net-new business.

#2 Downtown Denver based business development rep (lead-gen) for a litigation industry technology provider. Compensation is a base of $35-$40K with on target earnings of $60-$70K.

#3 Is a Colorado based (virtual) appointment setter for a very cool start up in the education-technology industry. This is an outbound calling position but working off a very good database of warm prospects. This is a part time contract position that will evolve into end-to-end selling. Compensation will be $2,500 per month.

Public Versus Private Online Identity - Is there really a difference?

2009-11-19T17:37:00.000-08:00

There is an emerging debate about the boundaries (or lack thereof) between an individual’s personal and private online identity.

The questions on many people’s minds (jobseekers in particular) seem to be:

- To what extent do current (or prospective) employers have a right to view (and make judgments about) my private online identity and

- How do I adapt to this reality in terms of managing (and even protecting) my online identity

In answer to the first question...

the simple answer is: ‘your privacy is dead! Gary Vaynerchuk – Founder of Wine Library TV and author of ‘Crush it’ said it best:

“Have you fully comprehended that the Internet will enable your great-great-great-great grandchildren will see and hear everything you have ever done?”

Stated simply, there is no longer any practical distinction – or partition – between your private and public online identity. It is common for people to argue: ‘but I want to keep facebook for my friends and use LinkedIn for my professional associates.’ This sounds great in concept and works until some employer asks you to ‘friend’ as part of the screening process. And for those of you that want to talk about right to privacy and argue the ethics of companies ‘checking up on you’ – Most employers today already use third party companies to pull your credit report and criminal history…

Most people are unaware that NOTHING on the Internet goes away – even when you delete it. Take a moment and check out the The Way Back Machine - you’ll be in for a surprise.

In answer to the second question (How do I adapt to this reality?) the answer is you will need to treat the Internet as an extension of yourself and, ultimately, your personal brand. The maxim: ‘You only get one chance to make a first impression’ applies to your online personality as much as if you were shaking hands with someone for the first time.

Here is some practical advice:

Be aware that everything you say, share, tweet, post, and update becomes part of your permanent record and will be used by others to form judgments about you.

Be aware that prospective employers are not necessarily looking for a squeaky clean image. They will, however, be looking for inconsistencies in your story. Make sure your LinkedIn job history matches your resume. Make sure your travel photos on facebook don’t coincide with a period you said you were employed.

If you have blemishes (and we all do) be prepared to address them head on and, where appropriate, be proactive in letting prospective employers know what they can expect to find out about you online.

Have you had an issue with online privacy or have a strong oppinion? Please post a comment.

Appropriate Follow Up...

2009-11-18T14:47:00.001-08:00

Referrals: Part Two

2009-11-17T14:16:00.000-08:00

Referrals: Part One

2009-11-13T12:05:00.001-08:00

The Ten Commandments of Job Search

2009-11-12T09:55:00.001-08:00

The 10 Commandments Of Job Search

View more presentations from applicantblog.

Getting and Using Referrals

2009-11-12T09:04:00.001-08:00

A BETTER APPROACH TO REFERRALS

Trying out some new technology...please post your comments on the content (and sound quality)

Never Stop Job Hunting

2009-11-09T08:37:00.000-08:00

Advice for Job Seekers

2009-11-09T06:38:00.000-08:00

The employment ecosystem has fundamentally changed.

Despite the current gloom and doom of 10.2% unemployment, demographers and statisticians predict an unprecedented shortfall in skilled labor over the next six to ten years.

For sales organizations in particular, this phenomenon has resulted in unprecedented wage inflation. Employers struggle to find individuals with sufficient experience yet, the infrastructure that used to support an orderly transition into a sales career has literally vanished...

Simple Supply and Demand Economics has driven wages up by at least 1/3 over the past 18 months.

To make matters worse, it is highly likely we are entering into a prolonged recessionary period that will last, I suspect, from 12 – 24 months.

The net effect is that employers are paying more for sales resources while their risk of failure has increased and spending by their customers will constrict.

Generally, this does not put companies in a good mood and hiring becomes a prolonged and painful process.

To aid those of you seeking a career in sales, I wanted to provide the following advice:

First some basics…

Contrary to popular opinion, it is unlikely you will graduate from college into a six-figure sales management position. Sorry to burst your bubble but the first few years in sales are usually the hardest and lowest paid.
When applying for jobs, get a real email address - hotpants69@gmail.com...not so much
Google yourself…your next employer will. Ideally your FaceBook page is not a showcase for color photos of your most recent drunken-goat-rodeo.

On to more interesting stuff... Lets talk about how to avoid the plethora of multi-level marketing, door-to-door, commission only, CEO income from home ‘business opportunities.’

If the ad (or your first conversation) doesn't clearly reveal what the job is about...run away, If you can't find a website...run away
When in doubt, look up the company via your Secretary of States website. Here is the link for the Colorado Secretary of State Website.
Do your homework...there are plenty of boards, blogs, etc so it is pretty hard for scam companies to stay under the radar but you have to do some research.
Anybody promising easy money ($5K your first month, $100K your first year, etc) is full of it while this is possible, it is highly unlikely. Plan on a $30-$35K base your first year with another $10K-$20K in variable compensation. Landing a job with a company willing to invest in your future, you can typically track to earning six figures in your third full year.
Most of the stuff posted is multi-level, pyramid scam, boiler room nonsense. Unfortunately that is just a reality of the uber-information age. You are going to have to sift through a bunch of crap. If it feels like a scam...it probably is.
No base salary...see above. Some companies like to hire you on as a contractor for a few months but real companies invest real money. By the way, it shouldn’t take four interviews for you to figure out you are interviewing for a commission only position. While I don’t recommend asking for compensations specifics during the first interview, it is appropriate for you to confirm that the position is a base plus variable arrangement.
Sales is hard and requires cold-calling...when you take inbound calls we refer to this as 'customer service' and you can expect to make $10-$15 per hour. Six figure income no cold calling no experience required… Did your momma raise a sucker?
The good news is, picking up the phone and getting people to listen isn't as bad as it sounds...particularly if you are passionate about what you are selling. Think about it...why would sales pay so well if most people weren't scared to death.

Finally, I do believe that selling represents one of the greatest possible careers - it is one of the few places you can make lots of money and, to a large extent, control your destiny.

Think Your Resume Looks Good?

2009-11-09T05:49:00.001-08:00

It doesn't matter! Nobody is gonna read it!

Surge in jobseekers frazzles resume responders