Debra Angel MacDougall > Quotes

“The best boss I ever had used to say, “When you’re feeling overwhelmed, just pick three things and do them. When they’re done, pick three more.” Three things always felt doable. To this day, I remain surprised at how much I can achieve following this simple rule.”
― Debra Angel MacDougall, The 6 Reasons You'll Get the Job: What Employers Look for--Whether They Know It or Not

“The second thing that holds people back is the fear of doing things differently from everyone else. The rational side of our brain says we need to job search the way everyone else does—look for advertisements in the Open Job Market and submit dozens of résumés or applications each day. Yet experience shows that it doesn’t work. Chances are, that’s not how you landed your last job and it doesn’t seem to be working for you now. Perhaps it’s time to try something new. The fastest way to get a job is to stand out from the crowd, rather than follow it.”
― Debra Angel MacDougall, The 6 Reasons You'll Get the Job: What Employers Look for--Whether They Know It or Not

“Quantifying an accomplishment with details that can be verified turns it into a Fact. No two people will have the exact same Facts, so when you use your quantified accomplishments on applications and résumés, over the phone and Internet, and in interviews, you are showing your uniqueness. If you worry that using them sounds like bragging, think again! It’s not bragging. It’s giving employers the Facts they need to decide that you’re a wise investment.”
― Debra Angel MacDougall, The 6 Reasons You'll Get the Job: What Employers Look for--Whether They Know It or Not

“The question employers are asking themselves is, Will you work in my company’s best interest? They need to know they can trust you with their money, customers, secrets, products, and reputation. Few employers will hire even an entry-level worker who might steal from them or a customer, lie to get what he wants (even on their application), or let it slip that he wouldn’t be caught dead using the company’s product or service. Employers want people they can depend on to follow instructions, produce the quality and quantity of work required, meet deadlines, and stay until the job is done.”
― Debra Angel MacDougall, The 6 Reasons You'll Get the Job: What Employers Look for--Whether They Know It or Not

“employers don’t hire because they have a vacancy; they hire because they believe someone will make them more profitable. In today’s market employers endeavor to keep their staffing levels as lean as possible. If they can’t clearly see how adding your skills, contacts, and personal qualities will make them more successful, you won’t make the cut. It’s that simple. You will also be screened out if you cost more than your skills, contacts, and qualities are worth. It doesn’t matter if you are a salesperson or an executive, a cleaner, a receptionist, or a warehouse worker.”
― Debra Angel MacDougall, The 6 Reasons You'll Get the Job: What Employers Look for--Whether They Know It or Not

“In some industries, companies build trusted relationships with head hunters, employment agencies, university or trade school professors, and career center staff that only refer candidates who match their needs in the six vital areas.”
― Debra Angel MacDougall, The 6 Reasons You'll Get the Job: What Employers Look for--Whether They Know It or Not

“Effective marketing campaigns always start with a key message. In job search, it’s your top two or three accomplishments or qualities that you want repeated when your name comes up— He’s the one who had us all laughing. His track record shows he’s a fast study and usually exceeds targets . . . She’s the one with the Harvard MBA who secured over $4 million in funding for the XYZ project. Make it something the employers need but may not find or notice in other applicants. Use this proven technique in all your marketing efforts—résumés, cover letters, spontaneous letters, interviews, and side door meetings. Throughout your job search, repeat it in several different ways so employers remember it.”
― Debra Angel MacDougall, The 6 Reasons You'll Get the Job: What Employers Look for--Whether They Know It or Not

“You must use the exact terms the employer is looking for. If the computer doesn’t see the employer’s keywords for the job, you’re screened out.”
― Debra Angel MacDougall, The 6 Reasons You'll Get the Job: What Employers Look for--Whether They Know It or Not

“QUICKTIPSFOR FACTS • All selling points start with the employer’s needs. If the employer doesn’t need it, the Fact isn’t a selling point. • Identify specific accomplishments that prove you can meet each need. • Quantify each, using numbers or percentages, comparisons, proof of proficiency, or lists. • Give a time frame (daily, in the first three months, over two years) whenever possible, so the employer is impressed with how quickly it was accomplished. • Be sure each Fact is true and verifiable either with paperwork or a credible reference. • Make sure it sounds believable. • Use Facts to market yourself in writing, during cold calls, and in interviews, when accessing employers through both the front door and side door. • Memorize your key message—the two or three Facts that are most impressive and valuable to the employer. Use it repeatedly.”
― Debra Angel MacDougall, The 6 Reasons You'll Get the Job: What Employers Look for--Whether They Know It or Not

“All employer needs and concerns can be grouped into six major areas: Presentation
Ability
Dependability
Motivation
Attitude
Network
(PADMAN, for easy reference)”
― Debra Angel MacDougall, The 6 Reasons You'll Get the Job: What Employers Look for--Whether They Know It or Not

“One surefire way to get hired is to prove you can help your manager achieve her goals. Managers are evaluated on both their personal effectiveness and the effectiveness of their team. They want team members who will help them get the job done, and make them look good. The more you know about your prospective manager, the better prepared you can be to prove you will help him achieve his goals.”
― Debra Angel MacDougall, The 6 Reasons You'll Get the Job: What Employers Look for--Whether They Know It or Not

“Talk with people outside the company who hire, train, or supervise others doing the same job. Ask what makes an employee great in this position. Talk with employment specialists, recruiters, headhunters, résumé writers, and staffing professionals who work in the field, to discover what employers value most in the job.”
― Debra Angel MacDougall, The 6 Reasons You'll Get the Job: What Employers Look for--Whether They Know It or Not

“During the interview, employers often ask tough questions or create a stressful environment, just to watch your attitude as you handle it. In these situations, fear can grow, and if it looks like anger, desperation, or depression, most employers will cut their losses and screen you out early. On the other hand, if you anticipate the stressful environment and come prepared, your attitude will remain positive, confident, and respectful, which often makes the employer willing to overlook weaknesses in other areas. Employers repeatedly tell us that if a person has the right attitude, they can teach the skills. Attitude is as much about your outlook on work as it is about your personality.”
― Debra Angel MacDougall, The 6 Reasons You'll Get the Job: What Employers Look for--Whether They Know It or Not

“If you have specific companies you really want to work for and don’t know anyone who can introduce you, instead of sending your résumé, try another side door such as a spontaneous letter (described in Chapter 5). It is more personal and targeted and, most important, will get better results than a mass-mail résumé.”
― Debra Angel MacDougall, The 6 Reasons You'll Get the Job: What Employers Look for--Whether They Know It or Not

“It’s not uncommon for an interviewer to have not reviewed your résumé before stepping into the interview. Don’t assume they have. Repeat your key messages a couple of times as well as highlighting the other selling points that can get you hired.”
― Debra Angel MacDougall, The 6 Reasons You'll Get the Job: What Employers Look for--Whether They Know It or Not

“In good economic times, it is estimated that about 20 percent of available jobs are advertised in the Open Market, and the remaining 80 percent are found in the Hidden Market.1 In bad economic times, even fewer jobs are advertised. Yet, most job seekers (eight out of ten) search primarily in the Open Market. Clearly your chances are better in the Hidden Market, where you compete with only two applicants for eight jobs, rather than vying with eight people for two jobs in the Open Market. Using the Hidden Market can quadruple your odds of landing a job.”
― Debra Angel MacDougall, The 6 Reasons You'll Get the Job: What Employers Look for--Whether They Know It or Not

“The more effective method is to find a side door to the person with the power to hire and impress that person so that he or she requests your résumé. Using a side door does not refer to actually sneaking into a building; it’s a metaphor for meeting and impressing the manger before they know you want a job.”
― Debra Angel MacDougall, The 6 Reasons You'll Get the Job: What Employers Look for--Whether They Know It or Not

“It’s true that fear can keep us safe, but inaction can rob us of opportunities to live our dreams. Facing your fears and taking action is one of the bravest things you can do. It allows you to take control of your life and determine your future.”
― Debra Angel MacDougall, The 6 Reasons You'll Get the Job: What Employers Look for--Whether They Know It or Not

“Profit is not just money earned. It’s the money that’s left over after the employers pay all their bills, including your paycheck and taxes. If the company makes a million dollars a year and spends $900,000 on bills, they have $100,000 in net profit—this 10 percent is considered good in most industries. But what if they have to pay extra for overtime because employees call in sick, or they have to replace merchandise damaged or stolen by staff, or they become embroiled in expensive lawsuits due to employee actions? Their profit quickly diminishes. And if employees give poor customer service, hurt the company’s reputation, or in other ways reduce business, by even just 5 percent, the employers’ net profit is reduced by another $50,000! Can you imagine striving all year to build a million-dollar business that earns little or no profit?! This is why hiring wisely is so important to employers. Business owners are in business to make money for themselves or their shareholders—even business owners who care about their employees, love what they do, want to make a difference, and give back to their community. Profit is what keeps them in business, gives you a job, and allows them to do the extra!”
― Debra Angel MacDougall, The 6 Reasons You'll Get the Job: What Employers Look for--Whether They Know It or Not

“Sociologist Mark Granovetter’s classic study found that more than 55 percent of job seekers saw their references only occasionally, and 28 percent saw them rarely.2 In the book The Tipping Point, Malcom Gladwell agrees that studies show “people weren’t getting jobs through their friends. They were getting them through their acquaintances.”3 So, you’re likely to find your next job through someone you don’t see often or know well.”
― Debra Angel MacDougall, The 6 Reasons You'll Get the Job: What Employers Look for--Whether They Know It or Not

“everything that is holding you back and every strength that will get you hired can be found in these six areas: presentation, ability, dependability, motivation, attitude, and network.”
― Debra Angel MacDougall, The 6 Reasons You'll Get the Job: What Employers Look for--Whether They Know It or Not

“In Writing (on Paper or Online). Use brief bulleted statements, rather than full sentences, so employers can see, at a glance, that you have what they need. • Almost 3 years experience as an Administrative Assistant. • Very dependable: Missed only 3 days in 4 years. • Proficient in the current MS Office Professional Suite, QuickBooks, PhotoShop, InDesign, DreamWeaver, Flash, and several Internet search engines and ISPs.”
― Debra Angel MacDougall, The 6 Reasons You'll Get the Job: What Employers Look for--Whether They Know It or Not

“A final and often favored method of finding new employees is to poach them from other companies. So when you’re working, treat every customer as a prospective employer so you land your next job while you are still employed.”
― Debra Angel MacDougall, The 6 Reasons You'll Get the Job: What Employers Look for--Whether They Know It or Not