CAREER ADVICE FROM THE SOURCE

Right now you might be like most people - going through the job search and application process with just a standard resume and feeling very rejected and maybe a little hopeless.  Your job application gets much stronger when your resume is accompanied by a letter of recommendation. I’m sure you know this but you might not have made the effort to get a letter of recommendation. So how do you get the perfect one? You write it.  What?!  Yes, you write it.  Let me explain.

Here are the 5 simple steps to follow to make this happen:

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This month we chatted with adidas' Women's Brand Marketing Director, Ashley Czarnowski, to understand what a hiring manager at adidas is thinking when looking for someone to join their team.  Check out what she had to say …

Made To Hire: How and when did you get into adidas?  

AC:  I’ve been at adidas for 5 years.  I was lucky enough to be recruited by an adidas HR recruiter on LinkedIn for a Brand Marketing position in Running.

Made To Hire:  What’s your advice on how people can get their resume noticed when competing against hundreds of applicants for a job at adidas?  

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You don’t realize it but every time you enter a room you’re making a statement about where you’re going in your career.  People quickly reveal themselves as heading down one of two paths.  Path 1 = motivated and success-bound.  Path 2 = disconnected and disappointed.  Which path are you on?  Is that where you want to be?  Let’s explore.

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You write more emails each day than you can count.  Let’s make sure your email communication style isn’t putting people off.   Here are 10 simple, yet very important rules to follow when sending emails:

1.    What’s the subject?  Use an informative subject line.  Avoid using vague subject lines like ‘hi’ or ‘application’.   Be specific so it’s obvious what the email is about. 

2.    Get off on the right foot.  Be professional with how you start and end emails.  Avoid casual opening and closing remarks like ‘hey’, ‘later’, ‘ciao’, etc.  Using ‘hello’ or ‘hi’ to start the email is fine when combined with the person’s name. And ending with ‘thanks’, ‘thank you,’ or ‘best’ are all good choices.  

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We’ve all watched presentations that were painfully bad.  Remember thinking, ‘I’m so glad that isn’t me standing up there?!’.  Most of us dread public speaking.  For that reason, it’s one of my favorite things to work on with people because with just a few small adjustments you can make a huge difference in your presentation skills.   

So what are the biggest mistakes people make when giving presentations?  And how do YOU avoid them?

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We sat down with Tesla's West Region Director to uncover what Tesla looks for when hiring employees and how you can stand out from the crowd.  Whether you want to work at Tesla or just get insights from a seasoned business expert, check out this interview.

MADE TO HIRE:  What does it take to get hired at Tesla?

Tesla:  Passion, grit, drive, results-orientation, intellectual curiosity, integrity, and trustworthiness.  You literally have to be able to come to the table with the ability to execute in the current climate while challenging the status quo and offering solutions with better efficiencies and higher results.

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When was the last time you checked out the social feed or LinkedIn profile of someone you’ve never actually met?  I’d bet for many of you, it was within the past 24 hrs. What did you think of what you saw?  Without even realizing it, that person’s feed or profile made an impact on you.  

When we think of first impressions, what usually comes to mind is what you think when you first see someone in person.  The reality, however, is that your virtual first impression is just as important as your live first impression.  And if you’re working towards your next career goal, then you better make a strong virtual first impression because hiring managers and recruiters are looking. 

Check out my advice on the 5 things you should do today to make the right virtual first impression.

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You might not realize it but you are constantly being judged by how you put yourself together.  The next day you feel lazy and decide not to shower could be the day you meet someone who could change your career.  It’s better to just accept that first impressions truly matter and take control over how to nail yours.  Give me 5 minutes and I can help.

I do an exercise with my students where we review different looks on the same person and use adjectives to describe the person in each of the looks. It’s amazing how much people infer by how you dress and the other little details that make up your look.  Let’s play the game and you’ll see what I mean.

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How are people supposed to help you if you aren't clear on what you want?  I always tell my students, ‘Fake it till you make it.' 

It's okay if you don't know exactly what you want to do and exactly where you want to do it.  We were all there at some point but how you manage that uncertainty is actually very important to ultimately get what you want in your career. 

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We’re constantly bombarded by companies marketing and selling things to us. Whether it’s the new sneakers they make you believe you must have or the next iPhone about to release, brands are marketing to you every day. Believe it or not, you really have a crucial role in all the marketing happening out there. It’s to consciously and actively market yourself.

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We’re constantly bombarded by companies marketing and selling things to us. Whether it’s the new sneakers they make you believe you must have or the next iPhone about to release, brands are marketing to you every day. Believe it or not, you really have a crucial role in all the marketing happening out there. It’s to consciously and actively market yourself.

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