4 Brutally Honest Tips on How to Get a Job

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AUTHOR’S POST

Mandy Moody, CFE

ACFE Social Media Specialist

While recently recording a podcast with Placement Consultant Kathy Lavinder, I couldn’t help but jot down notes that I knew would later turn into a blog post. The content was simply too good and too vital to not share in as many places as I could.

Kathy’s fancy title is Executive Director at Security & Investigative Placement Consultants, a firm which places investigative and security specialists across the U.S. and around the world. However, I like to think of her as the CFE’s career coach. She knows exactly what market CFEs currently face and the road that will get them to their professional home. In the podcast, which went live yesterday, she drops breadcrumb after breadcrumb for those looking for the way to get hired, promoted and plucked from the pile of candidates.

It's no secret that it's hard to find a job right now for everyone at every age in every profession. It seems like the market doesn’t even discriminate between entry-level, mid-level and the C-suite. So, what do you do? Sit back, sleep in and throw in the towel? Not a chance. You get up, you recalibrate, and you follow some of Kathy’s tips:

  • Use social media. LinkedIn and Twitter aren’t just for young folks or geeks; they are for everyone! Kathy says they are secret weapons that are not so secret anymore. Get on the train, or watch it go by. It’s your call.
  • Less is more. Keep your résumé and cover letter short and sweet. The days of a three-page résumé detailing your entire work history, including your teenage years at Dairy Queen and babysitting your cousins, are over.
  • Don’t be a sad sack. Practice using enthusiasm, not desperation, as a tactic to impress hiring managers.
  • Network. According to Kathy, "It’s not optional, it’s vital." Put on your Sunday best, and get your name out there at ACFE Chapter events, local Chamber of Commerce lunches and conferences. Your future employer could be the next person you spill your drink on. You never know.

These are only a few of the gems I collected from Kathy’s interview on Fraud Talk this month. Hear or download the entire interview here, and, most of all, good luck.