Resume Help Blog

Archive for January, 2009

Let’s stipulate, for the millionth time, that the economy is failing like Jessica Simpson at a Mensa tryout. One piece of advice: Don’t take it personally. Update your resume. Network. With that in mind, we asked a panel of experts for the one nugget of advice they’d give an out-of-work job hunter.  

* Don’t Screw Around

Absolutely No. 1 is to treat the job search as you would your full-time job. So whatever your morning ritual is – having your breakfast, taking your kids to school – get back to your desk and, 9-to-5, you’re looking for a job.

- Jack Otter, deputy editor, Best Life magazine

* Stand Tall

Don’t apologize for being out of work. I don’t mean to be over-the-top abrasive, like a Donald Trump. But if you go around being apologetic, the first thing it’s going to do is make you more insecure about your prospects. You’re going to be so busy being embarrassed that you probably won’t present your best face. You have to really take ownership of it and say, “You know what? Sure, I’m out of work right now, but I have exceptional skills.”

- Rachel Weingarten, business etiquette expert and author of “Career and Corporate Cool”

* Get Educated

Folks should be thinking about getting credentialing. Not just bachelor’s degrees, but certificates. Even within six months, you can get yourself onto a good career track.

There are sectors that are facing critical shortages. For example, there are a whole range of technician jobs related to health care. There are information-technology-related jobs, and when the (proposed federal) stimulus package comes down, there’s going to be a tremendous need for skilled talent. You can get yourself into a decent job that will pay a family a sustaining wage.

- Julian Alssid, executive director, Workforce Strategy Center in Manhattan

* Form An (Uag) “Unemployed Anonymous Group”

Get together with a group of people who can be a support group. Meet weekly or every other week to compare notes on what you’re doing, what’s working, where the action is and what the general sense of the market is. Select a diverse group of people who have insights from different directions. You go around the table and everyone gives an update. Then you ask questions.

- Bill Ellermeyer, outplacement consultant

* Get Organized

It’s important to be organized, because when you’re in a structured environment, you’re going to be more productive. Keep a daily to-do list, so you make sure at the beginning of the day you say to yourself, “What do I want to get accomplished?”

If you start doing your list, you can reflect on it at the end of the week and say, “Geez, I’m spending all my time on job boards and no time on networking. I need to adjust.”

- Will Robinson, founder of Virtualjobcoach.com

* Prepare To Pitch

Develop a 10-second verbal pitch that says what you’re looking for, where you’re willing to do it and what you’re open to considering. Many job seekers aren’t able to quickly articulate what they’re in the market for, and they miss opportunities.

An example: “I’m a very strong financial analyst. You’ll see from my resume that my last positions have been in the financial services industry and that I’ve spent time in other industries.” Then list those. “So I’m open to considering other industries. My compensation in my last role is this. This is what I’m willing to consider. And I’m open to commuting.”

- Kimberly Bishop, executive recruiter, Slayton Search Partners

* Hug A Librarian

Business librarians know an awful lot about different fields and resources and databases and technologies, much of which can be very useful to job seekers. So from a networking standpoint, it makes a lot of sense to include them.

It’s much easier to find a business librarian than a lot of people expect. First, librarians by their nature are helpful people, so it’s very easy to approach them. Second, they’re all over the place. It doesn’t take too much research to find one.

- Rick Hearin, director of MBA career services, Miami University

* Draw A Map

You need to begin assessing and strategizing your options. Sit down and create a document or a journal, whether it’s online or on paper, and map out various career paths you could take.

First, do an assessment of your skills and your assets. And think as much outside the box as possible. Not so much skills that are connected to your job, but those that could be translated everywhere.

Then there are three paths you could take. One is, Where could I go in my current industry? The next is, What other industries could I transfer my skills to? The third is, What about being in business for yourself? What have you always dreamed about? How would you develop that?

- Julie Morgenstern, time-management expert and author of “Never Check E-mail in the Morning”

* Get With It

“One of the things women over 40 have to do is make sure you look relevant. If there are pictures accompanying your resume or anything that’s online, make sure it marries up to modern life. Make sure you’ve got a current haircut and current clothes. You don’t have to be a fashion statement, but you should definitely look like you know what’s going on and you’re with it.

- Lesley Jane Seymour, editor-in-chief, More magazine

By BRIAN MOORE, NY Post

By: C.J. Hayden

What was the name of the manager you met at last month’s business mixer? Did you ever follow up on the application you mailed two weeks ago? Which version of your résumé is the most recent one — without the typos? If you’re asking yourself questions like these, your job search could benefit from some organization.

The typical job search can generate a daunting stack of paper and a backlog of communications from many channels at once. If you are actively looking for work, you may quickly find yourself buried in multiple versions of your résumé, copies of cover letters, clippings and printouts of job listings, business cards from people you have met, e-mails sent and received, bookmarked web pages, phone messages, flyers for networking events, and much more.

To keep all these essential job search components organized, here’s what you will need:

Calendar

You’ll need to keep track of appointments, when you sent out résumés or placed phone calls, and what date you should be following up with people you speak to. Use whatever system works best for your personal style: a pocket datebook, a PDA (e.g. Palm Pilot), or task management software on your computer (e.g. Outlook) are all appropriate choices.

Contact Manager ­

To take full advantage of your personal connections, you will want to maintain a list of everyone you speak with about your job search, along with their complete contact information, when you last spoke, and what you discussed. Contact management software such as Outlook or ACT! is one option, but you can also use a card file, notebook, or large address book.

Filing System ­

On your computer, set up a special folder to hold all your job search materials, and create sub-folders to help you find items quickly. Be sure to give all your documents distinct names. Instead of simply “Resume,” for example, you might use names like “Resume updated with feedback from Ken” or “Resume sent to Marshall Co” to identify different versions.

For your e-mail, use the same idea to save copies of e-mails you send or receive in separate folders in your e-mail system. You might create one folder for all your job search correspondence, or if you are a heavy e-mail user, add sub-folders for each prospective employer or opportunity. Also use a folder to organize bookmarked web pages, such as job postings you check regularly.

With paper documents and clippings, the type of system you choose should depend on whether your job search needs to be mobile. File folders in a drawer or standing file work well if you will always be conducting your job search in the same location. If your job search needs to travel, a better solution might be a three-ring binder with dividers or an accordion file with several pockets.

Task List ­

You’ll need a way to keep track of what may seem like an endless list of things to do. Appointments and notes to follow up on a certain date can be put in your calendar, but you’ll also need a way to track tasks with no date assigned as well as daily or weekly activities. Some PDA’s and contact or task management software offer this feature, or you can keep your master task list in a document on your computer, in a notebook, or on a bulletin board or whiteboard.

Once you have set up a system to organize your job search, you’ll need to remember to use it. Get in the habit of making entries in your calendar or contact manager immediately, rather than saving them up for later. When you print documents, open postal mail, or receive e-mails, file them right away, making a note of any action you need to take on your task list. Don’t try to use a pile of paper as your reminder.

One technique that can help to keep your job search visibly organized is creating a “job wall.” Dedicate some wall space or the back of a door to your job search and post a large calendar, list of job postings to check regularly, events to attend, people to talk to, and important tasks you want to keep in mind. Use sticky notes to highlight important deadlines or projects. You could also keep the same material in a three-ring binder prominently displayed on your desk.

Whatever organization system you choose, find a way to keep your job search activities constantly in front of you and check your to-do list often. If everything you need is buried in a drawer, a pile, or your briefcase, your job search won’t get as much attention.

C.J. Hayden is the author of Get Hired Now! and Get Clients Now! Since 1992, she has helped thousands of professionals make a better living doing what they love. C.J. is a Master Certified Coach who leads workshops internationally ­ in person, on the phone, and on the web. http://www.gethirednow.com

By Teena Rose

You’re 40 something. You’re underemployed, or worse unemployed, you’re tired of the daily grind, you’re bored (or frightened) and you’re wondering where your future went. Join the club. Massive layoffs across the US industrial sector mean you’re far from alone. Millions of white- and blue-collar workers are rethinking their career paths. Maybe you should, too.

Build on What You Know

You have experience and that’s valuable. To walk away from 15 years in marketing to become a goat herder is not a good career move. Build on what you know. Examples:
 
An auto engineer picks up a temporary teaching certificate after a three-month crash course in principles of education and becomes a high school CAD instructor. It doesn’t pay as much, but the intangible rewards more than offset the smaller paycheck. A real estate agent, tired of the late-night phone calls and 60-hour work weeks, starts flipping properties on the side. She knows the market, the inspectors, the contractors, the lenders – she’s plugged into the local real estate grid from the top down. So, she takes what she knows (of immense value) and starts her own property management company buying, selling and renting properties.

A CPA becomes Director of Development for a local non-profit, a pediatric nurse takes the helm at a drop-off kid care franchise – you get the idea. Build on what you’ve got. 

Make a Critical Self-Assessment

Sit down with a nice cup of cocoa and make a list of your professional career knowledge, skills, and personal attributes (the list is intended for a phone interview, however, it provides a solid list to start with) that could be leveraged in a new career. You’ll be surprised at the extent of your skill set.

Your list should include proficiency using computer software programs (these are transportable skills required on almost every job), special training and knowledge acquired on-the-job.

Now, here’s where the cocoa comes in. Make a second list of your professional shortcomings. If you think a hard drive is the evening commute, it’s time to go back to school.

Go back to School

Adult education, the local community college, technical schools, four-year universities, workshops and seminars are all great places to develop new skills and update old ones. Get the certificate, license, the degree or the credentials you need to start down your new career path.

Study the Job Market

What’s hot and what’s not? Well, the IT sector seems to be hot again while manufacturing is in free fall. There’s unprecedented demand for health care providers and educators at all levels.

Go through the classifieds to see what’s hot in your region. Or, maybe you’re willing to relocate. That’ll expand your options!

The Absolute Worst Thing You Can Do

Don’t quit without a plan of action. That’s walking the tightrope without a net. If at all possible, give your notice, clean out your desk and move on to the rest of your life starting first thing Monday morning.

Now, if you’re ‘in between positions’ (read unemployed), you’re walking that tightrope without a net anyway!

In this case, the key is to find a job – any job to keep the creditors at bay. Build on your skill set by designing a resume, cover letter and thank-you letter that demonstrate how your skills translate to this new position, business or industry.

And if you don’t know how to best position those skills on your paper introduction to potential employers, hire someone who does. Using a professional resume prep service is one of the best investments in a brighter future you’ll ever make.

Visit us on the web at http://resumebycprw.com