Lately, in my Executive Search work, I have more and more conversations with candidates about how to market themselves. Yes, the job market is tight right now, even in the burgeoning solar industry, but there has to come a time when job seekers take it upon themselves to get ahead of the competition if they really feel that they’re the right person for the job.

Most conventional recruiters will tell you that they have the responsibility of positioning you to a prospective employer, while this is true, their methods can often be outdated and disadvantageous to the candidate. Recruiters are paid by employers to find the best possible candidates, and in the process of their candidate sourcing, they will inevitably be drawn to resumes that match keywords with a particular job description. This works, but in the case where the true need of the employer goes beyond what is often stated in a job-description, where the qualitative factors come into play as much as the quantitative ones, supreme candidates can be left out of the running completely.

For this reason I’ve been challenging more candidates to move away from trying to convince me that they’re a great candidate based on what they’ve done, but to give me a compelling reason to promote them to employers based on what they’re capable of, and what it is that they really want to do. As I do this more and more, I find that candidates are now starting to self-select themselves, and the ones that make the best case are inevitably very strong contenders.

We’ve all heard the old adage that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting the same result. With this I challenge you all to think differently, to be visionary, to commit yourselves not only to finding a job, but to committing to only finding a position that you’ll be great at.

Confucius said “Find a job you love and you’ll never work a day in your life”. Now more than ever we need to emphasize this above all else. Let’s be straight, the job market is pretty tough right now, and that’s probably not going to change for a long time to come. Focus yourself on where you will fit in based on what you are great at, and more importantly what you care most about. This will tell you where you can make the greatest contribution to your employer, and put you in a situation where you’re valued beyond just what results you can produce based on your history. In short, it will raise you from the level of “producer” to the level of “asset” to the organization.

This process is a lot of fun too. Imagine doing something that you feel good about every day. Something that you want to continue to think and learn about even when you’re not on the clock… That’s the ultimate way to create job security. Your employer will pick up on these things and be more interested in understanding how he or she can take the skills and passion you bring and put them to best use, rather than reviewing your skills on your resume and evaluating how much you might be able to produce before feeling overwhelmed, burning out, or being lured by another opportunity.

Stay ahead of the competition. Know why you’re the best for the position, the company, and the industry you’re targeting. This will project an aura of trustworthiness and loyalty to the employer that they do not see very often. It will make you special. This will be particularly pronounced in small businesses and start-up organizations who are more dependent on each individual than big multinationals. They are hiring right now, and their top executives are more accessible than those from the larger companies. Most importantly, they’re the ones who can give you the opportunity to grow and fully utilize your skills and passion to make a difference. Align yourselves with them first, and the resume will become a secondary resource rather than the first method of screening you.

More on this in coming articles. In the meantime, check out who’s hiring on SolarVisionaries Career Page.

Have feedback? Leave a reply and let’s discuss!

You can read the article I mentioned here. http://bit.ly/9TN3Z9

Great job, great life.

-Joe

This was news to me.

As an MBA May 2010 graduate, I assumed that I should follow the usual procedures used when I graduated with my BA in 2006. I started working on my resume and cover letters with the MBA Career Development counselors, and started sending my resume and applications into the abyss of job databases belonging to a variety of competitive companies. Days passed, months passed, and I received no replies.

“Hmm,” I thought. “It must be the recession.”

Then I started talking to some friends of mine, some of which worked more modern, smaller companies, and some of which worked for well established Fortune 500 companies. They all told me the same thing—that I wasn’t applying to jobs the right way. This was news to me, since I thought I was following all of the proper steps. So, over the course of a month I had my friends look at my resume, offer advice, and put me in contact with Human Resources representatives from competitive companies allowing for me to take advantage of information interviews. This is what I learned:

If you are interested in working for a specific company, try to find a contact via social networking sites or through personal relationships. My friends suggested using LinkedIn heavily to determine who I knew and in what industries. After doing some research I found that I was connected by one or two degrees of separation from companies I was interested in. LinkedIn clearly displayed who I knew and how, so it was easy to figure out who to contact. I also gave my resume to friends and family members at different companies, who would keep me in mind if they heard of any job openings.

Make sure that your resume is selling yourself—in the right way, and to the right industry. After talking to a head hunter at a company of interest, I was asked if “Administrative Assistant” was a necessary title on my resume. I was confused as to why this was even an issue, and she informed me that this title could have actually been hurting my applications more than I realized. Despite my MBA and work experience, this title was representing less experience than I actually have.

The “cookie cutter” cover letter might not be the way to go depending on the culture of the company. I was highly interested in applying for a position with a small and vibrant start-up company that I met at an MBA career fair, who allows for companies to use their product as a promotional tool by creating scavenger hunts all over Boston. During our conversation, they asked me to write a “kick butt” cover letter and think outside of the box. So in addition to submitting a traditional cover letter, I also submitted my cover letter in the form of a scavenger hunt—allowing for me to better understand their product and submit my cover letter in a unique way.

“Work Experience” isn’t necessarily just what you get paid to do. I had been a board member of a non-profit for over a year, and essentially helped launch the non-profit from scratch. But I assumed that this was not in any way related to work experience since it was volunteer work, so it only received one line on my resume at the very bottom. Another head hunter strongly suggested putting this position at the top of my resume and be more descriptive, since the work experience gained from my board position might be more relevant than my current full-time position.

As the solar industry changes and new start-ups enter the market, it is important for applicants to use their connections to their advantage and apply to jobs in a more modernized way.

What has your job-search experience been so far? Share your knowledge and experience with our group by posting a comment!

Leah Ben-Ami

Contributing Editor – Solar Careers

Search job openings at the best companies in the solar industry now!

Education
This is a given, but companies want engineers with a strong educational background.  Most are looking for candidates who have completed two to four year programs to earn their Associates or Bachelors Degree in Engineering (mechanical and electrical), Manufacturing, Automation, Chemistry, Physics, Microelectronics, Materials Science, or other related fields.  If a management position is being considered, degrees in Business Administration and Supply Chain Management are also suggested.  The most senior positions prefer a Masters or a Ph. D as well.

Experience
The complexity of these positions requires a great deal of experience within the industry or related fields to be a competitive candidate.  If you have some experience(1-2 years) in high volume maintenance, manufacturing, research and development, or other high tech environments,  star t out with a position as a technician, entry-level engineer, or IT support.  Positions revolve around Process Integration, Maintenance (Wafer), and Efficiency.

If you have 3-5 years of experience in these fields—in addition to specific technical skills such as semiconductor characterization, production standards, or other experiences with a technology company—project engineering, program and project manager positions should be pursued.  If you’ve spent your career focused on something such as SAP applications, PV designs, or Wafer Slicing, there is a broad range of positions available specific to your skill set.

If you have 7-10 or more years of experience with the aforementioned as well as managing and training within these environments, senior positions should be considered, and could be focused on project implementation and new product development.

Applications
The general consensus is that everyone should know Microsoft Office Applications, but there is also an emerging demand for knowledge of Microsoft Project as well.  Other desired skills revolve around manufacturing and maintaining ERP systems, automation systems, statistical data analysis application, AutoCAD, and Six Sigma methodology and tools (Root Cause Analysis, SPC).

Certifications and Other Requirements
Depending on the company and the positions, some certifications are desired but not necessarily required.  These include MCSE, PHR, CEBS, and PE certifications.  Some positions require proof of Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt training as well.  Almost all positions require the ability to lift a minimum of 40 pounds, travel, and work long hours while on your feet for most of the time.  Other desired attributes include the ability to work quickly and efficiently, have a high level of prioritization skills, take initiative, and possess and entrepreneurial spirit.

What if I don’t have these skills?
Many of these firms have rotational programs and internship positions available on a regular basis, that require little to no experience in the field – just interest and knowledge about the industry and the company’s core position.  If you are hired in an entry-level position, many of these firms offer benefits including tuition reimbursement if you decide to go back to school and gain further experience.

Good luck!