Good to be with you again. Hope the longer days and warmer weather are brightening your spirits.

There is good reason for optimism with your job search.

The job climate continues to thaw and slowly improve. A more positive hiring environment is emerging.

How do I know this?

Because I network with a lot of people each week. I'm hearing more and more success stories and breakthroughs after months of doom and gloom...and plenty of complaining.

Two friends of mine called me this month with the wonderful news of their job offers. One of my friends--a gifted Design Engineer--had been out of work for over a year.

Another person had a felony conviction and feared no one would ever hire him after months and months of looking. But, he not only got a good job, but was offered more money than he's ever earned in his life.

Oh...did I mention he got the job through someone he knew who convinced the company president to make an exception to their policy of not hiring felons.

Others have emailed me or called me to say that after enduring weeks of sending out resumes with literally no responses, they are finally getting some call backs and phone interviews.

So, if your job search is still floundering, there is good reason for renewed hope...and, in this month's newsletter, I'm going to push your canoe off the muddy shore, and into the swift job current by sharing with you 3 fatal flaws job seekers make that prevent them from getting job interviews.

Before we go there in the next section, I'd like to update you on 2 things I'm working on that could benefit you or someone you care about:

• Are you following my daily Job Interview Blog?

  I'm on the front lines of the job search war, and want to share with you my latest insights and updates to my website.

  My blogs are only 1 or 2 paragraphs, so they get right to the point. All you need is one good idea to literally change your world over night.

  You can bookmark my blog page and go out to this page every day, or it's a lot easier if you just link to my blog via RSS. RSS is kind of new, but it's totally safe, convenient...and very cool.

  There are instructions on how to set up an RSS feed on my blog page. Click on the (?) on the orange RSS icon box in the left hand column.

• Behind the scenes, I am continuing to write an enlightening online course for job seekers who have been unemployed for a long time with little success of winning job interviews...much less a job offer.

  Maybe you're getting job interviews, but no offers, constant rejection...or worst of all...silence.

  My on-line course will be a 21 day, step-by-step method, to winning job interviews based on my 14 years of success as an Executive Recruiter, and 20 years of direct hiring experience as a Director of Sales with a Fortune 500 company.

  This course will contain a lot more than just snippets of information, and a few tips. You can get plenty of that on the internet.

  My goal is to awaken the giant within you, and position you to truly stand out from other candidates. I plan to do this in a warm, entertaining way to lift your spirits, and create the drive and motivation you need to get your life back on track.

  I know many of you need this information now, but I want to give you a quality approach unlike anything else out there.

  I'll keep you updated through my blog and newsletter as to when the course will be available. For now, I'm shooting for sometime in June.

Happy Hunting!

Mike Petras

No Job Interviews? Avoid these 3 Fatal Mistakes

1. An ordinary resume without a good Look and Feel.
2. Weak communication skills.
3. A below average personal appearance.

If anything I say rubs you the wrong way...this is a good thing.

Pain often awakens something deep inside us, making it easier for us to see true reality instead of our perceived reality .

Your shortcoming could be something simple to overcome...or a little more complex to solve.

Either way, any problem can be solved if you simply park your ego, open your mind, and learn to see yourself in a new way.

Ok...ready? Let's shake the tree and see what falls out:

Fatal Flaw 1: An ordinary resume

More than ever, companies today are making interviewing decisions not only from the content of your resume, but it's overall Look and Feel.

It is one of the most important things you can do to improve your odds of getting an interview.

Yet, most people let their egos take over and create a resume that basically screens them out.

And, by the way, it doesn't make any difference if your resume was done by a professional resume writer. Some of those resumes don't work very well either.

How do I know this?

Because for years I made my living by placing people with companies who gladly paid me a hefty fee to find qualified people for them. I grew sick and tired of seeing outstanding people rejected all because someone at the company didn't like their resume.

So, if I didn't fix this problem, I wouldn't eat. Simple as that.

Please...take the time to carefully study my webpage, Outline of a Resume.

From this page there are several links to an excellent sample resume, cover letter, and other critical insights into writing a resume that flat gets results.

Special Tip: Your resume is a work in progress. It can be updated and tailored frequently. But, the do's and don'ts of creating content and developing a good Look and Feel do not change.

Fatal Flaw 2: Weak Communication skills

Ok...once your resume is up to snuff and starting to turn a few heads, you can expect a couple of calls to set up a phone interview.

This is the next big hurdle to clear in winning an on-site interview.

No face-to-face interview...no chance of an offer.

The only purpose of your resume and phone interview is get you in front of a hiring authority. Period.

The phone is a cold instrument and it is difficult to get a warm and fuzzy feeling for someone over the phone. So, you need to communicate well over the phone in order to make a positive impression.

Please...take the time to carefully study my webpage, Phone Interview Tips.

These 8 important tips are nothing more or less than 14 years of people screwing up. Now you can benefit from their mistakes.

Once you have improved your phone interview skills, sharpen your communication skills for your on-site interview by carefully reviewing my 14 Job Interview Tips.

Fatal Flaw 3: Below Average Personal Appearance

Ok...your resume is starting to work for you. And, you nailed your phone interview.

Your greatest challenge now lies ahead...making a good first impression at your on-site interview.

Fact: People will judge you by your appearance. This is unfair, but it's an unavoidable reality. Human beings are visual creatures.

During your job search, your appearance needs to be on the conservative side, and your body language positive. I've seen a lot of bright, talented people rejected because of a poor personal appearance.

On the other hand, I've seen some pretty average folks get hired because they looked sharp and interviewed well.

More often than not, the best prepared candidate is hired over the best qaulified candidate.

Please...take the time to carefully study my webpage, Job Interview Attire. Also, maybe it's time you bought a new outfit strictly for your job interviews.

You may not have the money right now, but if your clothing is old and out of style, you might want to consider it. Also, work with a good clothing consultant at the store. Tell him/her that you are looking for a job and want to look your best.

Well...that's it for this month. See you on my blog.

All the best to you in your job search.

Mike
job-interview-wisdom.com