10 Job Search Mistakes to Avoid

In this job market every job seeker needs to be at their best. Competition is fierce and employers are in the ‘driver’s seat’ with lots of candidates to select from. One of the best examples remains when Delta Airlines was overwhelmed with 100,000 applications for 1,000 flight attendant positions!

Thinking about what not to do is as important as following all the good advice of what you need to do. Based on my HR and career coaching experience, as well as some research published by ABC News, here are the top 10 mistakes I suggest you avoid. I first published this some time ago, but believe the mistakes are still relevant for revisiting.

Mistake #1 - Don’t Back Off During the Holidays
Especially this year! Economists are still debating how strong 2013 is going to be, but I’m hearing from my recruiter friends that staffing orders are increasing. Yes, things may slow down a bit during the holidays, but that only means that the job seeker has less competition trying to make connections with the recruiters, hiring managers and small business owners. Keep up your pace with networking, introduction meetings, and informational interviews. You just don’t know who is trying to staff up to be ready to hit the ground running January 2nd!

Mistake #2 - Don’t Expect the Past to Carry You
No doubt about it, your past experience is one important indicator of what you will bring to the table. But employers today want to hear about what you’ve done lately and how your past experience is relevant to their strategic goals. One comment I hear again and again from colleagues and clients is, "Yes, there are lots of candidates, but they don’t have the skills we need!" Be sure you’ve done your homework and understand what skills employers are requiring for the jobs you are applying for. If those skills aren’t as sharp or updated as they need to be, find training courses, opportunities for job shadowing, or maybe even an internship to help you make them relevant for 2011 and beyond.

Mistake #3 – Don’t Take Rejection Personally
Delta had to reject 99,000 individuals since they only had 1,000 openings. That’s a lot of rejection. It’s tough to hear, but learn something from those rejections, which will undoubtedly come your way. Don’t take it personally. Making a selection is difficult, especially when you have two or three good candidates to choose from. When you have even more, it’s just a process of whittling the list down to the short list. Keep evaluating what you could do differently the next time, and ask for feedback. Paul Powers of CareerBuilder stated in the CNN article, "If you aren’t getting rejected regularly, then you either aren’t working hard enough to get your foot in the door, or you’re applying for jobs beneath your capabilities."

Mistake #4 – Don’t Forget What this is About – and it’s Not About You
The focus during any job search campaign has to be on what the employer needs to be successful. If you are currently in job search, please re-read the previous sentence three times. Now think about specific ways you demonstrate this principle in your day-to-day execution of your job search strategy. The resume objective or introduction statement is a great place to start – right up front tell me what value you are capable of bringing to my organization. Remember, all the hiring decisions are based on the company’s needs, not yours.

Mistake #5 - Don’t Make It About Age
‘In the old days’ when employers were looking for candidates that would stay and grow with their firms for 10+ years, age might have been a consideration, even though there are laws preventing this type of behavior. However, today employers are more interested in what knowledge, skills and abilities you can bring that will help them solve an immediate crisis, innovate the next iPad, or improve the environment. You get the point. Yes, they’d like you to stay and contribute as long as there is a fit. However, employers are more realistic today, expecting that talent will shift and a periodic rotation of new ideas and experiences is probably a good thing. So, don’t let your age, young or ‘more mature,’ get in your way. Keep the focus on the value you will bring.

Mistake #6 – Don’t Try to Wing It
So you’ve been on a few interviews, you’ve been networking and you’re feeling really confident and prepared. Don’t make the mistake that you can walk into the next meeting or interview without preparing. Know the company and their needs. Be prepared to talk about how you would immediately add value to help them. Certainly, be prepared to answer basic questions such as, "What do you do?" We’re experiencing a longer-than-normal time for job seekers to be unemployed. We all know that. But the answer to the question is not "I don’t do anything, I’m out of work." Would you hire the person who gives that answer? Practice being strategic and enthusiastic with the answers and questions you prepare and practice for each specific event. It would be rare to find two companies with exactly the same set of circumstances; so treat each opportunity individually.

Mistake #7 – Don’t Forget to Make Your Resume Special
With as many resumes as organizations receive today there is no time for reviewing a one-size-fits-all resume and deciphering how those skills fit with what the employer is looking for. No one is going to take the time to do that! So, make sure that your resume is tailored for each specific job. Take the time to invest in making the best impression. Understand what they are looking for and highlight those skills and experiences that demonstrate why you are the best candidate for that position. You need to do the work for your resume to speak to their specific needs without a lot of effort on their part; because believe me, they certainly aren’t going to do it for you.

Mistake #8 – Don’t Focus on Only One Career or Industry
As jobs have moved into knowledge-based and technology driven fields, the skills and experiences job seekers have to offer can often fit into more than one job category. Don’t limit yourself to a particular job title or field. Be creative and experimental in seeking information about jobs in different industries that utilize similar information and technologies. Your particular industry may not be on the rebound yet, but that doesn’t mean your talents and skills wouldn’t be welcomed in another industry. And, truth be told, your particular job may never come back, so this may be the perfect moment to reinvent yourself. Give yourself that permission.

Mistake #9 – Don’t Overlook the Importance of Taking Care of Yourself
Conducting a job search is a full-time, exhausting, and emotionally draining job. Don’t forget to take care of yourself during the process. You want to be on top of your game, so make sure you’re eating healthy, getting the proper amount of rest, and making time for exercise and leisure. Stress is unhealthy on a lot of levels, and the stress of financial, career and family problems can quickly become overwhelming. So much so that thinking is foggy, conversations seem desperate, and initiative and self-motivation turn to paralization. Establish healthy routines and use your self-discipline to stick with them.

Mistake #10 - Don’t Just Wait for the Phone to Ring
Networking is definitely the best strategy for job search, especially in this market. Many organizations don’t even want to post a job, fearful that they’ll find themselves with a Delta situation. People, recruiters and folks inside the organization are going to be the link to the openings. Networking does take time and energy but is more likely to give you the results you are looking for. Job seekers who use their time to send out a lot of resumes to LinkedIn contacts or Internet postings and then sit back and wait, will be waiting forever. This option may seem easier and less stressful, and you can even fool yourself into thinking that you’ve been productive. But the truth is, if you’re not following up on every one of those resumes you sent out, you’re just wasting your time. There is no easy way to find a job. The only way to make your phone ring with that offer is for you to make it ring! Be active with your network and keep expanding it. Keep doing all the right things with a good attitude and you will connect with a match.

Job search is challenging, and especially when the competition is so tough. Differentiate yourself from the crowds by not only doing all the things you know you should be doing, but also by being careful to sidestep the sinkholes hiding in the mistakes noted above.

One other thought – don’t forget to have a champion or coach that you can talk, strategize, and brainstorm with. This is a value component to your job search success. Often you’ll find someone at networking meetings who can fill this role. Best of luck in making the right connections in 2013.

If you need additional guidance with your job search campaign, please check out my book Position Your Next Move for a Successful Job Search, other Career GPS blog entries, and my free resources page on my website at www.evolutionmgt.com.

7 Tips for Improving Your Resume

One consequence of this long recession is the struggle individuals are faced with when dealing with the question, How should I present my experience when there are:

• gaps in employment periods
• unpaid jobs
• positions requiring a lot of experience alongside those requiring minimal skills
• jobs held that are unrelated to each other and perhaps seemingly unrelated to the current opening.

Although recruiters and hiring managers are most comfortable reviewing the traditional, chronological format, perhaps you’ll need to be creative in telling your story, and go beyond the traditional style. Please note: I’m using the word creative not in the sense of telling white lies, but in designing professional categories and information in a way that helps the reader understand what you’ve been doing, as well as how your skills are just what they are looking for.

Resumes are all about telling the story of your educational and work life experiences. In addition to what you already know about traditional resumes, consider these 7 tips:

1. Opening - There continues to be a lot of controversy about whether to use an objective statement or not. Here’s why I come down on the side of "Yes, it’s critical."

You want to be able to help the reader understand where you are trying to take them with your story. The objective statement, Headliner, opening - whatever you want to call it - sets the tone for the reader to understand why you are presenting your resume.

You can take a technical approach to noting the position you are qualified for, i.e., Human Resource Manager with Organization Development experience, or you can be more personal in your opening, i.e., Senior level Human Resources professional who values strategic alignment, collaboration and technology integration.

2. Clustering – Tom Washington and Gary Kanter wrote a book that explores the concept of resume clustering. The idea is to bring together and showcase the past experiences you have to offer in the most favorable light. This can be highly effective in those situations where you’ve have period of unemployment or temporary assignments with a variety of companies.

A cluster for example could bring together the Contract or Temporary Jobs you’ve been doing. Or if you’ve been volunteering in a line of work you did professionally, you could cluster in a way to explain your Sales Management and Temporary and Contract Sales Engagements.

3. Length of Experience – Although there is no need to indicate months on a resume, a lot of resumes still reference month and year of employment. As a result of the increase in business closures, layoffs, and temporary assignments, it is much wiser for candidates with these types of situations to focus on only indicating the year in which the work was done, trying to avoid highlighting any gaps between jobs.

4. Broaden the Experience Category – Don’t overlook taking credit for the "non-employment" or "volunteer" work you may be focusing on while you’re waiting for the market to bounce back. If you’re in a program at school, call that out in your experience area, providing an overview of the program and how it is enhancing the skills you have to offer.

If you’ve been freelancing, or running your own business, put that in the experiencecategory and provide a brief position description of the tasks and functions you’ve been managing and the results you’ve achieved.

Often candidates overlook mentioning the volunteer work they are doing, experience which often matches the skill sets needed for a paying job. Make sure these types of opportunities are also listed as most current, so the reader of your resume recognizes what you’ve been doing lately.

5. New Categories – Resume writing is challenging, I know. But try not to get hung up with the notion that you can only use the categories you see utilized in examples found in books and on the internet. If you have a unique situation, a major project you want to highlight or an achievement you think lends strength to positioning you for the job opening, create a new heading such as Key Project or Distinguished Achievement to call attention to it.

6. Update – Make sure that every resume you are sending out is up-to-date and reflects the activities, workshops, classes, part-time jobs, volunteer work, etc. you’ve been doing since the last time you submitted a resume.

It’s easy to fall behind and forget what you’ve accomplished. Make it a good habit to review your resume every few weeks and update it with the latest information. Keeping track this way will help you avoid having to explain gaps in the future.

7. Second Set of Eyes – We’ve all been there. We’ve written something and think it’s clear, concise and has no grammatical or spelling errors and then… we pick it up after we’ve sent it out and right there in the first line is a misspelled word. Horrors!

Avoid this problem by asking a friend to proofread your resume every time you make a change. Remember, your brain knows what it meant to say, so your eyes may play along – totally missing a sentence that doesn’t make sense or reflects poor grammar.

Resumes should always be looked at as a work-in-progress. They’re never finished. Keep yours up-to-date and highlight what you have to offer in the best light. And, in the meantime, keep challenging yourself to stay busy, productive and upbeat.

If you need additional resources, check out prior Career GPS articles, review my website, www.evolutionmgt.com, consider ordering a copy of my book Position Your Next Move for a Successful Job Search, and evaluate if our personalized career coaching would be of assistance to you.

Job Seeker Questions and Answers

I’ve always heard that being a member of a professional association aligned with the type of job you are seeking is an important job strategy. Well, I’ve joined two groups this year and nothing! No leads, no job! What am I doing wrong?
- Izabella

Check out Dear Job Seeker for my answer to Izabella's question.


　

This article was written by Deborah A. King, SPHR, CEO and Sr. Organizational Effectiveness Consultant with Evolution Management, Inc. Debbie and her team provide customized career transition coaching, including the development of resumes that get action. Contact EMI for more information about how we can assist with your career transition and outplacement needs: www.evolutionmgt.com, 770.587.9032.

Five Strategies for Starting Your New Job on the Right Foot

What joy! You’ve just landed that great job you’ve been after. Congratulations! But now what? Your job search may be over, but you’ve still got some important work to do to position yourself for success.

Just as your job search took planning, strategies, reflection and follow through, so goes the routine for preparing for your first day on the new job. Here are five key strategies that I think you’ll find useful for positioning yourself for a successful kickoff and journey with your new employer:

1 – What Do You Want To Do Differently?

Usually most job seekers take the time at the beginning of their job search to reflect on their strengths, weaknesses, likes and dislikes. Reflection and self-awareness can be accomplished through a number of options including thoughtful reflection, consideration of feedback provided by assessment tools such as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), or co-creating sessions with a career coach. This is an important element in the job search process, especially if the job seeker wants to avoid targeting a job that doesn’t match the seeker’s talents, skills, abilities or desires.

As you’re preparing for your new roleand responsibilities, it will be important once again to take the time to reflect on all you’ve learned about yourself during your job search journey. These insights may be a result of personal "ah ha’s", or they may have surfaced through networking contacts, exploring new job avenues, or perhaps as a result of taking the time to continue your education and build new skills and capabilities.

"So what have you learned about yourself that you’d like to do differently with this new opportunity?" The question is important because it’s so much easier to change something about yourself as you are beginning relationships, rather than after the relationships have been established. What’s on your list? Often I find clients wanting to change how they approach areas such as:

• work style
• communication style
• image
• assertiveness
• time management
• daily routines
• abilities to be flexible
• interest in continuing to learn and maintain your employability

2 – Start and Stay Organized

When you start your new job, most likely your desk will not be cluttered with papers. Yes, there is the chance, if you are following in the footsteps of a predecessor, there may be some disorganization, but for the most part as you start to gather data and learn the organization, you’ll have the opportunity to start fresh new files and processes to keep yourself organized. This is a great time to demonstrate your abilities and commitment to being disciplined and orderly. Make it a priority to keep your desk and work space looking as neat as the day you started.

Consider starting with good practices related to:

• emails
• electronic files
• paper files
• calendar, commitments and deadlines
• contact lists

Don’t overlook systems, applications and techniques that can help such as the following: Outlook, The Brain, color coding file folders, time management techniques and ticklers to keep you on top of information. Take the time to establish your systems at the beginning and it won’t be as overwhelming as it could be three or four months into the job.

3 – Be Curious

Take the approach right from the start that you not only want to learn about what you need to know to do your job, but also to understand how your work interfaces with other parts of the organization. In order to succeed in your job it’s likely you’ll need to understand what happens in the workflow processes before and after the work actually arrives at and leaves your desk.

Practicing a holistic approach to be curious about the organization will help you learn more and aid in the development of work relationships. In addition, it can also provide some insights into ways to improve the workflow through connections not previously considered in the process. Remember, as the "new kid on the block" you’ll have a precious window of time in which you can ask all kinds of questions that might appear silly or out of place coming from a longer-term employee. Don’t miss this chance to inquire, learn and expand your view of the business from many perspectives.

Also, don’t be overly concerned about trying to prove yourself by sharing what you know and what your experiences have been. Take more of an interest in being curious about what your co-workers think is important and what they think is important to share with you.

If you’re managing others, this is your opportunity to take the initiative to meet with your staff to allow for introductions and an overview of your plans for getting to know the organization and its people. Make the time to meet with each employee to get to know them personally, their backgrounds, experiences and career desires. Now’s a great time to be a good listener.

4 – Chart a Path for Success

I love the concept of a 90-day on-boarding program. Michael Watkins’ book The First 90 Days, lays out the design for getting new employees started on the right foot by establishing specific goals for what they should have learned and achieved within the first 30, 60 and 90 days.

If your new boss hasn’t yet had a chance to read this book, don’t let that stop you. Get the book and become familiar with the planning concept for linking learning with metrics. Then sit down with your boss and get clear about what his/her expectations are for your performance. Armed with that information, take the first stab at drafting your own on-boarding plan for his/her review and assistance in finalizing. This document can also serve to ensure that you’re on the right road for performance management as well.

Creating a solid on-boarding process will demonstrate your characteristics of self-motivation, decision making, creativity, and confidence to articulate what you’ll be able to do on your own, and where you’ll need help and guidance from your boss and others as you integrate your experiences with the organizations’ processes, culture and contacts.

If you’re responsible for managing others, this would be a great time to meet with each person to understand their work responsibilities and challenges. Schedule some time to shadow them, and review work processes and outcomes. You don’t need to know how to do each of their jobs, but it will help to understand their workplace realities by observing the work through their everyday routines.

5 – Make a Commitment to Balance and Good Health

It’s very tempting when starting a new job to go overboard trying to do everything. Be mindful to set practical boundaries for the amount of time you’ll spend on "work" vs. family, exercise and time for you. Acknowledge that there will be a lot to learn, but that trying to absorb it too quickly could cause mistakes – you know what they say about haste makes waste.

Demonstrate commitment, drive and dedication to the new organization. But at the same time, recognize your co-workers will need time to get to know you, build trust and gain a good foundation for a solid relationship. Coming on too strong with who you are and what you’re all about can be overwhelming and may send the wrong message.

So take the time to find balance as you work your 90-day plan to introduce yourself to the organization, explore with curiosity what the organization is all about, make new friends and acquaintances, and consider how you might help the organization make improvements.

After you get started in your new job, don’t forget to go back and thank all those folks that helped along the way and sustained you during your job search. They’ll be pleased to know you have landed in a new role. You’ll want to ensure they have your contact information so you can continue to be in touch. You never know when your network will be able to help you again in the future, or when you can repay the favors they extended to you.

Good luck!

As always, I welcome your comments to my posting. Please share your thoughts below. If you’d like to share this article with others, please pass it along and suggest your colleagues subscribe for future articles. Thank you and have a great week.

　

This article was written by Deborah A. King, SPHR, CEO and Organizational Effectiveness Consultant with Evolution Management, Inc. Debbie and her team are energized about providing the guidance and support job seekers need to navigate the journey to a new opportunity. Our practices meet with tremendous success. If you’re looking for career transition support and guidance contact Debbie for more information: Debbie@evolutionmgt.com or 770.587.9032. EMI is a certified SBA 8(a) business and also holds certification as a woman-owned, small business through WBENC.

Temping - The Future of Work?

This week we celebrated Labor Day, a holiday established in 1822, during a time of much labor unrest. Don’t get me wrong, I welcome all holidays, and an opportunity to take some time off, but looking over the origins of this day it raises some questions for me about purpose and fit with today’s global economy. However, in spite of some confusion about how and what we’re celebrating, one thing is clear – the American worker (union and non-union) is still a very valuable component to our economy.

What we need today are businesses ready to define the qualifications that will shape future jobs and to begin training and hiring those individuals who are out of work but prepared to meet those qualifications. Being realistic, I know we’re not going to see much happen on this issue until after the election in November, but come January, let’s all be ready to take action.

Getting Ready for Change

If you’re one of the lucky ones that has a job, don’t get too comfortable. You may have a job today, but is that job going to be required tomorrow? Can utilizing a computer, robot or technology enhancements make your job extinct or if not redesigned? Could your job change and require other skills?

Now is the time to enhance your skills by building new competencies, establishing knowledge of new technologies, and/or gaining certifications to aid with your employability – internally and externally, if needed.

For the millions of unemployed that are diligently searching for a job as well as those that have hit a wall and given up hope, I encourage you to educate yourself about the future and prepare once again to be a vital contributor to the greatness of our country. There are lots of researchers writing and speaking about this topic; read different points of view and then make your own decisions about what’s right for you. What skills can you develop or enhance in order to better showcase your current and future workplace readiness?

Prospective employers want to hire individuals who are self-motivated and demonstrate their enthusiasm by preparing for the future. And what does that mean? It could mean building new skill sets or expanding knowledge about an industry or profession. It could be investing in education and/or certifications that will add value to an employer’s talent pool. It could involve reading self-help books or being coached on how to update management and leadership styles and communication skills. Certainly it includes a continuous expansion of technology awareness and skills.

Employers will soon be looking for great employees to help them transition their organizations into the flexible, fast-paced, global market of the future. The smart employers are already seeking to make these hires, knowing that the future may not be about creating hundreds of jobs, but more so about the innovation and creativity that will allow them to offer more innovative products and services while controlling costs and expectations. The future of work is not going to look like our workplaces looked like five years ago. Will you be ready?

Have You Thought About SuperTemping?

 

The May issue of Harvard Business Review includes an interesting idea about the rise of the supertemps. In an article on alternatives to full-time employment, Jody Greenstone Miller and Matt Miller share the reasons why the shift to a temp workplace is here and growing. I believe they are right - all the stars are aligning to make the choice of temporary job assignments an easy one for many workers who have years of experience or who are committed to successfully balancing work and family. A high-powered career and the climb up the proverbial ladder are not as attractive as they used to be in light of what we’ve seen all too often as the end of those stories. Here are a few of the factors driving the trend towards supertemps:

• The corporate "social contract" guaranteeing job security and plush benefits is dead or dying.
• Technology advancements promote a plug-in ease that allows working from anywhere.
• A majority of experienced, as well as younger workers just aren’t interested in 80-hour work weeks anymore.

To assist organizations and individuals interesting in trying this option, Miller and Miller offer a few tips for making the "temp arrangement" work. As organizations look for ways to build up their capacities for the future, and workers adjust to the idea of short term assignments rather than full-time employment, here are a few things to keep in mind.

1. Focus on what needs to be done. Set specific objectives for each assignment.

2. Don’t make the mistake of saying you’ll work out the details as you go along. Clearly define each phase of the work. Any good consultant will tell you that the success of their projects is based on clearly defined and written expectations for deliverables.

3. Be realistic about any additional resources, internal or external, that will be required to support the success of the temp and the project.

4. Ensure that the temp has an accessible and focused project sponsor to help navigate getting the work done through internal systems, as well as act as an advocate to sidestep the politics and workplace history that can often get in the way of success.

5. Schedule success – chart the number of meetings, hopefully every two to four weeks, depending on the complexity and/or length of the project.

In addition to the points offered in the HBR article, I would add:

• Shift paradigms - view these temporary assignments differently from the mindset and systems HR has established for filling full-time positions. We all know what happens when we try to force a square peg into a round hole!
• Watch for scope creep and project shifts and be intentional about rewriting expectations for deliverables, schedules and success metrics.
• And that brings me to my last additional tip – make sure the assignment is clearly articulated, including the success metrics by which the performance of the temp will be measured.

The future offers opportunities for reinvention – perhaps one of the options that will work best for your future is considering temp assignments. Miller and Miller note a number of companies focused on temporary talent; Axiom, Kelly Services, Eden McCallum and Manpower. Once you select an industry, profession, or skill set I’m sure you’ll find others.

I’m not so naïve to believe the economy can jump back quickly from the hole it is in. However, I believe that exploring temp assignments might lead to a new bridge to the future and a totally different view of employability.

　

This article was written by Deborah A. King, President and CEO of Evolution Management, Inc., an 8(a) certified, woman-owned, small business providing customized solutions to the challenging organization development and human resource issues facing private businesses and government agencies. Debbie and her team are ready to assist with professional development, including executive coaching, as well as career transition workshops and coaching. Call us for more information at 770.587.9032, or visit our website at www.evolutionmgt.com. If you enjoyed this Career GPS forum, subscribe to our OD/HR BizNext forum, click here.

A Checklist for Transition

The Success of Your Job Search Depends on How Well You Do Your Planning

Any trip we take usually starts with planning – and so should your journey to your next job. Unfortunately, I often see individuals attempting to jump straight to the destination without the proper planning and preparation. They rush to update their resumes without taking the time to consider options. They frantically start "dialing for jobs" - calling friends and colleagues to see if anyone knows of a job opening - without a clear message of what they have to offer. Yes, an updated resume will be required. And yes, networking is key to finding a job. But should these be the first activities on a job seeker’s To Do List? I say no, and here’s why.

Reflection

Before rushing out to find the new job, it’s important to take the time to consider your current state. Did you get laid off and are you still in shock or dealing with anger? If you are, this is certainly not the time to be on the phone trying to land an interview. Who knows what an interviewer can get you to say under these emotional conditions?

Have you just learned that your division has been acquired by another firm and your new employer is planning to eliminate your position? Not the best strategy to update your resume with a focus on only looking for a job just like the one you just lost. What’s the market like for this position? Are employers hiring in this area, or should you be considering transitioning your skills and experience to a different industry or line of work?

Job loss comes with a certain degree of trauma and chaos. But it also provides an equally important opportunity to step back, reflect on what you know about yourself, your skills, and your work preferences in order to put together a successful strategy for achieving your purpose: navigating the journey to the right job.

Planning

Proper planning can help you address your job search needs while managing the emotional rollercoaster that usually tags along with the announcement of a job loss. Consider this checklist of To Do’s as you prioritize what to do when:

• Finances – Review your financial situation and consider your options. Do you need to take on a part-time job while you’re looking for your next career position? How can you stretch your savings to supplement your unemployment benefits or severance? How can you fund some of the job search expenses you will have? Clarity about financial needs will also help you determine and orchestrate the intensity required of you in managing your job search activities in order to achieve the necessary results.
• Computer - All job seekers need access to a computer. So if the company’s computer was your primary computer, you’ll need to decide if you can buy a new one or get access through your local library or State Labor Department.
• Phone - The same is true for your phone as your computer. You can live without a mobile phone for a while if you still have a land line. Just make sure that you have reliable phone service and that your recorded message sounds professional and reflects the image you want to transmit.
• Email Address – You need a personal email address that is professional. If you don’t have one, get one. Don’t use the company email system for sending and receiving job inquiries. Take the appropriate steps to establish yourself as a serious job seeker who has planned and implemented a professional job search strategy.
• Self-reflection – While you’re dealing with these technology issues, begin to think about the competencies you have been acquiring over your career. What relevant skills and experiences do you have to offer? How can these talents and skills transfer into a new line of work – opening doors you might not have considered in the past? Don’t assume you want to look for a position just like the one you just left. Focus on what positions the market is seeking and how you can reinvent yourself to fit.
• Image – Do you have an appropriate interview outfit? If not, start looking for sales. Remember, you can’t "redo" your first impression. Make sure your image sends the right message: "I’m professional." You’ll probably need two interview outfits as well as few appropriate "business casual" outfits for networking.
• Business cards – Finding a job is a job! You now have your own company and the product you are selling is YOU! Every salesperson has a business card. You can easily design and print cards from companies such as Vistaprint, or work with a graphics designer at your local office supply store. Your business card should contain all the usual contact information, as well as a few bullets highlighting your key skills, certifications, type of work you’re looking for, etc. They don’t have to be expensive – just professional. Link your card style with your branding.
• Network – The first step in networking is organizing who you know. One way to think about contacts is to think of the people you know by categories: co-workers (present as well as former), neighbors, family members, people you exercise with, the parents of the children your children go to school with, etc. List names along with phone numbers and email addresses. Build this list in WORD or Excel so it will be easy for you to keep notes on who you talked with and what follow up actions you need to take.
• LinkedIn – LinkedIn is certainly recognized as the professional networking site. If you don’t already have a LinkedIn profile, establish one. Again think about how you are branding yourself, and keep the information professional. Utilize the features of LinkedIn to help you connect with others, get introductions, and share appropriate updates. Be careful with what you post and don’t forget about managing your privacy. .Identity theft is a serious and real problem.
• 30-second commercial – Now you’re ready to start reaching out to your friends and colleagues. Develop a brief overview of what you have to offer, what help you’re looking for, and include a request for the names and contact information for others you should contact. Be able to say all of that in about 30-60 seconds. Don’t get too detailed that you lose the interest of your contact, but be specific enough so they understand what you need them to do. Once you have scripted your commercial, and this will probably take a few versions, practice it until you can say it in a conversational style without referring to your notes.
• Research - Now it’s time to consider the geography in which you want to live and commute. Research the job market within your identified radius and consider how your passions, experiences and competencies align with what those employers are looking for.
• Armed with your market research, together with what you’ve learned about yourself through self-reflection exercises you are now ready to update your resume. Once you’ve got a solid draft prepared, it will be appropriate to begin calling your friends and colleagues to let them know you are in transition, that you’d appreciate their feedback on your resume draft, and can they spend some time brainstorming with you about other people they know that you might be able to talk with about your job search. Remember, you want to speak with anyone that might know someone who, on occasion, hires someone with your skill set.

Hopefully by the time you get through working on your resume, as well as your checklist, you will find yourself spending more time looking forward to the future, rather than being angry, depressed, or frustrated with the past. This is now the time to start practicing your interview techniques by answering traditional and behavioral interview questions.

The journey to your next job can be thoughtful, enlightening, and purposeful, or it can be an unfocused, chaotic trip. Take the time to do your planning; and then work your plan. Just like any business, you need a strategic plan, systems, supplies and a good product in order to attract customers. Be kind to yourself on this trip. Make sure you are purposeful in setting your daily and weekly goals, but also manage your time by including exercise, fun events, and time for stress relief. Job search can be challenging. Be patient, focused, and look for ways to learn more about yourself with every passing mile. You’ll be a better employee when you reach your destination if you do. Best of luck!

As always, I welcome your comments to my article. Please share your thoughts below. If you found this article helpful, I appreciate you sharing it with others. Have a great week.
　

This article was written by Deborah A King, SPHR, CEO and Career Coach with Evolution Management, Inc. Debbie and her team are energized about helping individuals plan and navigate their journey to a new career and can help you plan for successful change. Contact Debbie for more information: debbie@evolutionmgt.com or 770.587.9032.
 

Consider Every Encounter an Interview

Interviews come in all shapes and sizes; formal and informal. So the best practice is to treat every encounter along your job search journey, or your career path, as an interview.

Let me start out by first mentioning a few things about informal interviews. These interview opportunities can come in the disguise of a conversation over a latte at Starbucks, or a brief encounter in the check-out line at the grocery store. They can occur when you are having a casual conversation with a friend or co-worker or someone you have networked to as a result of a friendship or business relationship.

During these conversations:

• inform others that you are on a journey, gathering information to improve your job search strategies. Welcome all ideas and comments.
• share positive thoughts and ideas as you also practice and share, in an informal way, the critical points included in your "30 second commercial."
• don’t assume because this person is not a hiring manager he/she doesn’t need to learn of your talents, experiences, and dream job.
• don’t make the mistake of assuming that since you’ve know this person for any length of time that they somehow know what you’re good at.

Depending on the direction the informal conversation takes, try to learn something about how you can help this person as they are helping you, ask if you can share your resume for their ideas and feedback, and don’t be shy about asking for two other contacts they think you should make to expand your network. Remember, it’s all about networking!

Formal Interviews

Usually the first introduction to the formal process is through a screening telephone interview. Recruiters love this option as it provides a quick way to size you up. So, be prepared – you will probably only have one shot at making a great impression.

Usually the screening interview will take about 10-20 minutes. The recruiter will probably not have a background in your field, so don’t get too bogged down in the details. Be prepared for the call by having your 30-second commercial script handy, as well as your resume and the ad you responded to, if in fact that is how you got connected to the recruiter. The recruiter has a mission – to determine if you’re qualified to proceed further in the hiring process.

It’s important for you to focus on being yourself: professional, interested and credible. Be ready to respond to general questions about your background and interests and the most critical question, "What salary are you seeking?" This is definitely a question you need to be prepared for – too high and you won’t be included in the group asked to participate in the next stage of the process. As much as you can, offer a reasonable range and note that once you learn more about their expectations it will be easier to define a specific amount that is commensurate with the performance they are anticipating.

Following the screening, the employment interview can go in a number of directions, usually dictated by geography and/or culture.

The one-on-one interview usually takes place in person, and is usually conducted by the person who will be the supervisor. However, with more organizations geographically spread out, the one-on-one interview may be conducted through video conferencing. In order to get to this one-on-one you may first have to pass a series of individual conversations with others such as: the HR Manager (looking for fit), a group member (looking for team skills), and/or a colleague in another department you would interface with (looking for customer service skills). Be sure to ask who you will be meeting with when you are called to schedule your interview. Armed with this information you can prepare to answer questions from the perspective they will be most interested in.

One-on-one interviews usually last about 30-60 minutes. Treat these invitations as a time to have an interesting two-way dialogue. Remember, the employer wants to learn more about you, and you should have your questions ready so you can learn more about them (at least three for each person you are being interviewed by). Your questions could address a variety of topics including the organizational challenges you read about while doing research, the competencies they believe are most desired for success in the position, or a description of the manager’s leadership style. Your questions should be addressing information that is not already known to the public. Demonstrate that you did your homework.

Speaking of homework, make sure you are practicing interview questions. You’ll find books of interview questions at the library, and certainly there are lots of questions available over the internet. As you are practicing, please be aware that most employers today utilize the behavioral interviewing methodology. So be sure you have a ‘story’ that you can share about your key competencies, experiences, and values. My book, Position Your Next Move for a Successful Job Search includes an entire chapter on strengthening your interviewing and behavioral interviewing skills.

Depending on the structure of the organization, you may learn that you will be interviewed by a panel. Don’t panic – be ready! Companies often decide to interview by a panel in order to be more efficient with time, or provide you with a taste of their corporate culture. Be confident just like in any other interview – but this time, connect with everyone (usually 3-8 individuals). Here’s where your abilities to win people over will shine. Just like with the individual interviews, have a strong handshake, make good eye contact with each panel member and demonstrate humility. And just like I explained in the one-on-one interviews, each panel member will be looking for an answer to their specific agenda – leadership skills, fairness, team-oriented attitude, technical competencies and flexibility, just to name a few.

Although rare, I do want to mention the group interview. I have a friend who encountered a group interview a few years ago where she was being considered for the Sr. HR Manager. She said it was very stressful. Not only did everyone have to answer questions from a panel in front of the other candidates, they also were put on teams with the other candidates to perform tasks. (Sort of like the HGTV "DesignStar" process.) Be prepared, be yourself and try to learn as much as you can by observing the other candidates. Collaborating with someone who could possibly be taking the job away from you may not seem like a good strategy, but it certainly could indicate that you put what’s best for the company ahead of your own personal gains.

The Next Round

There are other events that you may encounter when interviewing. You might be asked to:

• demonstrate a particular skill set
• participate in a video interview
• tour the office or plant and along the way hold mini-interviews with workers
• complete psychological, work-style preference, and/or emotional intelligence assessments
• join the future boss for lunch or dinner

You just don’t know what the company may have in store for you, so always make it a rule to ask, "Who will I be meeting with, and what is their title?" "What can you share with me about the style of interview I should be prepared for?" "How long should I plan to be on site?" "Do you know if there will be a tour or meal involved?"

You’re probably thinking, I’m not going to ask those questions; I would be totally out of line. But trust me, you would not be. Your competitors will probably be asking these questions and preparing for the situation they now know they will be walking into. Just think how different your confidence level could be if you have this information in advance. It doesn’t hurt to ask. Either they will share the interview strategy with you, or they’ll politely say they can’t. You have one shot at helping yourself be at your best for the interview – take it.

As always, I welcome your comments to my posting. Please share your thoughts below. If you found this article helpful, I’m very happy for you to pass it along to others. Have a great week.

This article was written by Deborah A. King, SPHR, CEO an Executive and Career Coach with Evolution Management, Inc. Debbie and her team are energized about guiding your strategic job search and assisting with your professional development. Contact Debbie for more information: Debbie@evolutionmgt.com; 770.587.9032.

How to Succeed at Work

Illustration from Valve Handbook for New Employees

Last month the successful game software design company Valve posted its Employee Handbook on the Internet. For an unconventional firm, perhaps the document isn’t so unusual. However, what I did find unique is the clear, creative, and informative manner in which Valve leaders share the necessary information about how to be successful working in the culture of their organization. Not very "corporate" in the traditional thinking about an Employee Handbook. Yet, the information and underlying principles are helpful and timeless for individuals interested in, or engaged in, a career with Valve.

As you will note if you read the booklet, it’s a quick and interesting read. I found myself comparing it to a book I was given when I began my career with CH2M Hill: Jim's Little Yellow Book. The book was a small, pocket-sized booklet designed and written by Jim Howland, one of the firm’s founders, to share the values on which the firm was established. CH2M Hill still continues to honor the messages captured in Jim’s Little Yellow Book by giving every new employee a copy. The messages are brief, real and quickly reflect the values CH2M Hill expects in workplace relationships, behaviors and decisions.

Considering the Value Handbook principles and reminiscing about the power of Jim’s Little Yellow Book in making you feel part of the organization also got me thinking about a client, who I now consider a friend, who often mentions, "One day I’m going to write Bob’s Little Red Book on Management." Jim’s and Bob’s desire to share insights into behaviors important for an employee to succeed is a wonderful legacy to leave any organization, as well as a strategic component to any on-boarding process. I’m so thrilled to know that Jim’s book still is honored by CH2M Hill, as the values he shared transcend time. I do hope one day Bob will find the time to get his book written; what a fun project that would be to collaborate on.

On-Boarding with a Balance of Regulations and Reality

I know that in order to be in compliance with employment regulations and legal counsel advice, the traditional messages need to be conveyed to employees. These include important philosophies such as: we don’t support harassment of any kind, we offer a variety of benefits, and we support and embrace practices that align with equal employment opportunities. But perhaps we should start thinking about how to offer the regulations as well as insights about the culture - the real key to successfully fulfilling the expectations of the organization.

Creative designs of on-boarding programs certainly need to include the "official company process book information," but just as important, the program should include the stories and insights of organizational leaders and colleagues relative to the "handbook for success." And let’s not forget the importance of owning the career roadmap.  The Valve approach includes a six-month plan along with mentoring and performance feedback. The First 90 Days by Michael Watkins offers some great strategies for mapping out a plan for getting new employees started on the right foot. 

A Holistic View of On-Boarding

On-boarding isn’t an orientation exercise. The philosophies of an on-boarding program should be integrated into the entire employment cycle. Along with the philosophies, the organization also needs to provide employees with meaningful metrics. To ensure fit throughout the cycle of sourcing, hiring, on-boarding, career development, performance management and career advancement functions, employees need a yard stick by which to measure their values and alignment with those of the organization. Nothing really stays the same, so a periodic alignment check-in is a valuable exercise. Change provides growth, opportunities, and more change. So taking the time for a ‘self-check’ to examine how he/she is contributing to the organization’s mission, as well as the organization assessing and updating employees’ about what it takes to succeed is a valuable process. In both assessments, a big piece of the reflections should be about fit – both cultural and technical.

For Valve, growth and development squarely resides in the hands of each employee. According to the Advancement vs Growth section, "We believe that high-performance people are generally self-improving." Valve is clear they are striving to cultivate teams of talented people who are curious about learning. Not only learning what is needed for a promotion, but learning about what others do so they can be more effective in producing products for their customers. To fit in this culture an individual must be dedicated and committed to driving their own development and not shy about making things happen to get the experience and education required for future success.

HR’s Role in Communicating Culture

From the perspective of an employee looking to get re-energized or a candidate thinking about joining a firm, offering a window into the organization’s culture is priceless. As HR professionals we do a lot of talking about ‘fit,’ but are we doing everything we can to ensure that the values and work culture are also shared, discussed, and evaluated in the ‘fit’ conversations? Perhaps a review of current recruitment and on-boarding materials, processes and mentoring options is called for. Examine what is being offered with an eye to:

• Illustrating the culture
• Providing guidance for successful performance
• Ensuring it is presented in a format that resonates with the culture as well as the communication styles of the generation of new workers

Reflect Your Organization’s Values

I hope I have tweaked your interest about the learnings to be gleaned from this non-traditional handbook. Are you curious about what they’ve included? I think what Value has produced, and is open to sharing with others, provides a great example for all of us to think outside the box. When it’s all said and done, Value’s handbook beautifully illustrates a culture expecting self-motivation, risk-taking, teamwork, innovation, creativity, open communications, work/life balance, fairness and the importance of customer relationships.

What would the employee "handbook for success" in your organization contain? What kinds of stories, advice and illustrations could you use to quickly transfer the appropriate insights for success? Take a few minutes to check it out.

As always, I welcome your comments to my posting. Please click below. If you found this article helpful, I’m very happy for you to pass it along to others. Have a great week.



This article was written by Deborah A. King, SPHR, CEO and OD/HR Consultant with Evolution Management, Inc. Debbie and her team are passionate about designing and developing creative "people programs" such as on-boarding programs which foster engagement, successful performance, productivity and customer satisfaction. Contact Debbie for more information at Debbie@evolutionmgt.com or 770.587.9032.

Are You Ready for a Change? What About a Franchise?

When thinking about a career transition, you have more options than taking another corporate job or starting your own business from scratch; you could buy a franchise. 

The International Franchise Association predicts that 2012 will see a 1.9% growth in franchises. According to their research approximately 4% of all small businesses in the U.S are franchise-related.  But before you pull out your checkbook and take the entrepreneurial leap, let’s take a closer look at whether this option is right for you.

I recently had the pleasure of meeting Alice Errett, CEO of Right Fit Franchise. Alice is an experienced and competent Franchise Consultant, so I called on her to help me with this article. Thanks, Alice!

What is a Franchise?

A franchise can be defined as, "A form of business in which a firm which already has a successful product or service (the franchisor) enters into a continuing contractual relationship with someone (the franchisee) operating under the franchisor's trade name and usually with the franchisor's guidance, in exchange for a fee."

According to Alice, "There are 2,500 franchising opportunities available in the US! It’s not just fast food anymore! There are opportunities from commercial truck maintenance to child development centers, from golf services to newspapers." And the number keeps growing as new ones such as Healthy You Vending are established.

How do I Select a Franchise?

Here’s what Alice told me in response to this very important question. "The internet is full of information about franchising, and that’s a great place to start. However, at some point you may decide to work with a competent Franchise Consultant in order to learn more of the ‘real story’ behind the franchises you are interested in. The Franchise Consultant’s job, at no charge to the prospective franchisee, is to help you evaluate a variety of opportunities against your own desires and interest."

If you’re not familiar with what a Franchise Consultant can do to help you sort through all the options and make the right decision, here are some insights into the types of conversations Alice holds with her clients:

• "How do you feel about selling? Some franchises require it; others do not."
• "Do you need a franchise that allows you to work a flexible schedule? That’s possible with some and with others, it’s not."
• "Are you looking for a tried and true history of success, or are you open to some risk with a model that is more speculative?"
• "What’s your preference between a stressful environment and one that is more relaxed?"
• "The profit potential varies greatly between franchises – what are you looking for?"

The benefit of working with a firm such as Right Fit is that they know the hard questions to ask, they listen to your needs, and from the beginning of the relationship they utilize their extensive knowledge of franchises to pair you with only those potentials that most closely align to a great fit.

Pros and Cons of Owning a Franchise

Alice is quick to point out that franchises vary WILDLY in terms of quality, support and outcomes. Her point is well taken; make sure you do the proper level of due diligence.

Pros:

Alice agrees with me that for someone looking for security and limited risk, a franchise might be a better option than hanging out a shingle. "A franchise offers a tried and true model for success, with name recognition, credibility, loyalty and branding, so it’s much easier to quickly develop customers and traffic."

Another advantage is that the parent company provides training to help owners and employees acquire the right skills and knowledge to do their jobs effectively and build a successful business.

This benefit is huge, as it usually comes with policy and procedure documentation.

Since the parent company also negotiates lower costs for supplies based on volume, the franchisee can take advantage of lower overhead costs vs. trying to control business costs on their own.

Cons:

Owning a franchise means you will adhere to the rules and operating procedures of the company. This can be as simple as using company uniforms, or as restrictive as participating in nationwide promotions. For the individual that wants to hold all the control, this could be a problem.

Alice mentioned that one negative for some individuals might be the initial cash investment, which depending on the franchise, might be more than the cost of starting up an independent business. "Although financing is available, she suggests individuals interested in franchising should have $35k or more available for investment before investigating financing options."

Although the company’s established brand is a plus, it can also be a minus. Any scandals or problems the parent company encounters can have a ripple effect on its franchises.

"Fit"

Just as it is important for a job seeker to confirm fit with an organization’s culture, performance expectations, and competencies, an individual considering a franchise option must do the same. Naturally a lot will depend on the leadership, operational tools and support offered by the parent company, as well as the personality, preferred work style, education and past experiences of the individual.

Probably the most important piece of the "fit" question is that you need to know yourself. This is where working with a career coach can be helpful in developing a personal profile of interests, strengths, and work style preferences that will then be used when working with a Franchise Consultant to align with the right franchising opportunities.

Also, just like in any career search campaign, research is key. Identify the products or services that interest you. Understand the different franchise business structures. Find alignment with the reputation, culture and credibility of the brands. After you have narrowed down your list of possibilities, network with franchise owners. Interview them, just like you would someone at a corporation you were interested in going to work for.

Working with a qualified Franchise Consultant can make the navigation to the best franchise easier. Alice acknowledged that there are many qualified consultants out there, including her own organization. Whether you contact her at Right Fit, or another agency, Alice offers the following questions for you to include as you develop your interview strategy:

• "How have you been directly involved in the franchise industry, beyond consulting?"
• "What is your process for helping me identify the right franchise fit?"
• "How many franchises do you represent?"
• "Is there a contract for service?"

As the economy continues to get stronger, we will see more job openings; but perhaps you’re ready to take a turn in the direction of owning your own business. Folks like Alice, who love franchising, will tell you, "owning a franchise means being in business for yourself, not by yourself."

The franchise option can be overwhelming. If you decide to explore further, develop a strategy that includes:

• Working with a career coach to create your personal work style profile. This will include utilizing various assessments, interviews and exercises.
• Conducting extensive research.
• Working with a Franchise Consultant to navigate the complicated road to the right organization.

Job Seeker Questions and Answers

I’m hearing a lot about recruiters using Facebook and other social media to do background checks on candidates for job openings. Does this really happen?

Ruth

Check out Dear Job Seeker for my answer to Ruth's question.

What Does Your Digital Footprint Reveal About the Type of Worker You Are?

Whether you’re actively looking for a job or managing your existing career, don’t overlook the power of social media. I always advise my career coaching clients to make it a habit to Google themselves frequently and to take appropriate actions to manage the information revealed.

Now, based on a recent series of studies conducted by Northern Illinois University (NIU), the University of Evansville and Auburn University, I’ll also be suggesting that my clients do a thorough review of their Facebook profile. The studies, led by Donald Kluemper, are important for individuals interested in current or future career development because for the first time we have statistical evidence for what HR professionals have instinctively felt for years: within five to ten minutes of reviewing a candidate’s Facebook postings it’s possible to quite accurately predict the candidate’s probability for successful job performance. Fair or not fair is another question, but for now be aware that this type of review has been happening, and based on these new findings, will be happening more frequently.

The Big Five

In the university study, experienced human resource professionals were asked to rate a sample of 500 individuals in terms of key personality traits, using only the Facebook pages for each sample group participant as a guide. At the same time, members of the sample group were asked to complete a self-assessment and an IQ test. The personality traits both raters and the sample group were assessing are often referred to as the "Big Five"; they include: extroversion, conscientiousness, emotional stability, agreeableness and openness to new experiences. After six months, the researchers followed up with employers to ascertain job performance evaluations.

The HR raters were generally in agreement about the traits identified through the review of the Facebook pages, which correlated strongly with self-rated personality traits of the sample group. More importantly though, they also found the Facebook ratings were a more accurate way of predicting a person’s job performance than an IQ test.

Based on the study findings, a prospective employer might surmise the following types of impressions from a Facebook profile review:

• openness to new experiences could be gained by a review of comments or pictures about vacations taken and the type and frequency of initiating new hobbies
• emotional stability might be assessed by evaluating postings to determine if they indicate the individual is self-motivated and grounded, or the frequency friends are offering words of support and comfort
• agreeableness could be assessed by evaluating the balance between postings indicating cooperation and collaboration with others, versus arguing

Surprisingly, photos of partying didn’t necessarily count against a candidate, as the rater may have perceived the candidate as extroverted and/or friendly. However, I would caution that this is not permission to post karaoke performances or "spring break" type drinking poses.

Time for Action

The takeaways from the NIU study for job seekers, as well as employed individuals interested in career advancements, include:

• Conduct a thorough review of your active profiles for sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter including postings and settings and make appropriate changes to limit the data available about you.
• Delete old social sites you no longer use. Yes, I realize this is time consuming and boring, but it’s worth it. When’s the last time you visited your MySpace page? Technology companies might still maintain a record on you, but you’ll leave fewer online traces for others to find.
• Check out what’s out there now about you through Pipl.
• Set up an automatic notification through Google Alerts on your name, nicknames or personal business name.
• Establish and share a standard of care with friends asking them to respect your privacy in posting information and/or pictures about you on their sites.
• Be diligent and think twice about comments and information you are posting on social media sites – you never know who is viewing the information and what impressions you’re sharing.

These steps may not seem important to you today, but now’s the time to consider the future.  Under different circumstances, you don’t want inappropriate content to make the difference between being invited for an interview or not.

HR professionals know there is information available on sites such as Facebook which is illegal to ask about in an interview; i.e., gender, race, disabilities. And, the waters are murky at this time regarding employer liability for using social media information to screen applicants. However, with more and more access to internet information, individuals should be aware of the potential impact of "conversations," postings, and photos being freely uploaded for the world to see.

Reputable employers use more than one measuring stick when it comes to the hiring process. For example, a hiring decision would not be made strictly on a Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) profile; however, it would be a reasonable element for consideration in the entire hiring process. I see the review of social media information in the same light. According to a 2011 study by Reppler, a social media service, 90% of recruiters and hiring managers look at an applicant’s Facebook page. You know what they say, "a word to the wise is sufficient."

As always, I welcome your comments to my posting. Please click below to share your thoughts. If you found this article helpful, I’m very happy for you to pass it along to others. Have a great week.


This article was written by Deborah A. King, SPHR, CEO and Executive and Career Coach with Evolution Management, Inc. Debbie and her team are energized about changing workplace practices and can help you navigate your career development and job search. Contact Debbie for more information; debbie@evolutionmgt.com; 770.587.9032.

Job Seeker Questions & Answers

I’ve been out of work for over a year and I’m finding it harder and harder to motivate myself to search for a job. Any advice for kick starting a new campaign?

Samantha

Check out Dear Jobseeker for my answer to Samantha's question.

Job Search Tips for Returning Service Personnel

I recently read an article quoting the unemployment rate for veterans, as of December 2011, at over 13%. When you stop to consider what a transition from the military to a civilian position requires, you become very aware of the extra layer of job search complexity veterans have to deal with. That’s why I included a chapter in my book, Position Your Next Move for a Successful Job Search, specifically dedicated to Transitioning from Military and Government Service. This chapter lays the foundation to help service personnel successfully navigate the path to a new civilian career.

With this statistic anticipated to grow as more servicemen and women return from active duty, I thought it might be helpful to reiterate the key strategies to make a successful transition. If you are a veteran, I thank you for your service to our country. If you know a veteran dealing with the issues of transition, I invite you to share this article.

Take the Time to Accept the Transition – As a career coach it’s my job to help clients assess when they are prepared and ready to get out in front of employers. That may sound odd, since their goal is to get a job. But the reality is, individuals need time to get mentally prepared for the transition from one employment routine to another. In addition, they need time to get prepared for how to successfully implement their job search strategies.

So, my first words of advice are: take a deep breath, take it one step at a time, and allow yourself the time required to accept the transition. I often find individuals who have been laid off from a job need a few months to build back their confidence and self-esteem. They often struggle psychologically trying to reconcile being cut from their jobs while offering great job performance and results. It takes time for them to heal and realize the layoff was a business decision brought on by others; it was nothing they specifically did wrong. This same mental transition time is required for veterans – transitioning from a rigid routine and perhaps a stressful environment, to one that is less structured and flexible. It takes time to get your mind comfortable with the personal, professional and environmental changes taking place when changing jobs.

Taking the time to be prepared, however, doesn’t mean you’re not working on your job search. You are - you just may not be quite ready for jumping into an interview. Here are a few things you could be working on:

Work on Translation – Employers love to hire veterans. Veterans bring wonderful qualifications that have already been tested. Characteristics such as loyalty, honor, commitment, project management and teamwork, to name a few. What many employers struggle with is their inability to understand military jargon. So one of the first things to work on is to answer the following for each position held while in the service:

Job title:

Years of service in this position: 19xx to 20xx

Why was this position required? What were you responsible for?

List the primary functions you were required to complete in this position:

Describe the results you achieved in this position (quantitative examples):

Beginning to capture your thoughts about the various positions you held during your military career will give you a great start on the information required for your resume.  BUT we’re not ready to create the resume yet. The next step is to translate all the data you put into your write-ups into the language recruiters, employers, and automated resume systems will understand. This is a crucial step. So many individuals think it’s up to the employer to do the translating. Believe me – they won’t. Competition is tight, so each job seeker has to do as much as they can to help the employer realize they are the best candidate for the job. This may be a project someone at your installation’s career assistance office or a networking group can help with, or it may be worth your time and investment to work with a career coach. There are lots of options – use the one that’s right for you.

Branding What You Have to Offer – Here I’m referring to you knowing yourself and what you have to offer an employer. You need to be able to articulate and demonstrate what you stand for – your reputation, credibility, personality, values and style are important parts of your brand.

So consider for a moment that you just got a job selling a great product – and the product is you! What would prospective employers want to know about this product before they "buy" it? Take time to brand yourself; consider answering the following questions. You might also think about working with your career center to explore your preferences through the use of a variety of assessment tools, such as Myers-Briggs, Emotional Intelligence or Herrmann Brain Dominance.

My top five areas of expertise are:

My former managers (sergeants, lieutenants, etc.) would say I excel at:

I can differentiate myself from other candidates because of the following (knowledge, skill, experience, training, education, background, etc.):

In addition to these questions, identify transferrable skills. Review the position write ups you translated from military jargon to job search speak. Ultimately when you understand what you are selling, you’ll be able to create and deliver your 30-second commercial, without military jargon, in a natural and conversational tone.

Image – Once you are comfortable with what you’re going to say about yourself, make sure your image is a match to your words. Get comfortable in civilian business clothes. Transitioning from your uniform to everyday business may take some adjusting to. The first impression you give a prospective employer is often hard to overcome. Make it a good one.

Although tattoos are common in the military, most employers still prefer tattoos to be covered. Until you are familiar with the dress and appearance preferences of an organization, try not to reveal a tattoo during a networking or interview meeting.

And just one more quick comment about image – image is not only what someone sees, but it’s also what they hear, smell, and sense. If you are branding yourself as "reliable" make sure you demonstrate that by returning phone calls and keeping appointments. Your brand should show through all your job search actions.

Resume Preparation – Again, your career assistance center may offer help with resume preparation. If not, I offer some resume help at my website to get you started. The activities you completed in the Working on Translation suggestion above will be very helpful in completing a professional resume; one that civilians can understand. In addition, here’s a link to an article I wrote on preparing a successful resume which can help with the specifics.

In addition to all the things every job seeker needs to think about when preparing a resume, here are a few other tips for veterans:

• Be sure to list the trainings you attended, and link them to a skill set transferrable to a civilian position. Again be on guard to avoid military jargon. Take credit for everything you did and position it so the resume reviewer can quickly understand how that training and professional development relates to the job you are seeking.
• Be sure to articulate the hours worked per week as you describe your responsibilities. This will help hiring managers align your experiences with their expectations of the depth and breadth of the function requirements.
• As noted earlier, – use as many quantitative examples as you can – how many people reported to you, the cost savings your achieved through a specific initiative, etc.
• One last point, make sure you list your clearances. Although these may not be required in the private sector, they speak volumes about trustworthiness, honesty, and ability to pass their internal background screening process.

Networking – Although you may be tempted to sit at your computer and look for jobs on line, please be aware that until the economy is a bit more robust, the actual "open" positions on the internet will be limited. More than likely what you may find on line is a posting by a recruiter to source resumes to add to a database; there really is not a job at this time.

The quickest way to find job leads is to network. Join groups in your community and at the installation career center. Talking to people you know, and people they know allows you the opportunity to present yourself and your credentials while making an impression about what you have to offer. Don’t overlook tapping into groups that are specifically focused on hiring vets such as Veterans Green Jobs.

Interviewing – Navigating through the process noted in this article will provide many opportunities to practice talking about yourself; your skills, experiences and passions. Take the time to also practice interviewing. There are many interview questions available on line, as well as in books available at the library. Be sure to understand and be prepared to properly answer "behavioral interview" questions. This is a style of interviewing very popular in the private sector and requires preparing answers to question that sound like, "Tell me about a time when ____________." Remember, practice leads to predictable performance!

Job search is challenging for everyone. For returning veterans there are a few more points to be considered – but it’s not impossible to get the job you’re after. For information on seeking a government job, please reference Working For Uncle Sam, an article I posted last year.

I welcome your comments to my post. Please click below. If you found this article to be interesting and helpful I’m very happy for you to pass it along.

This article was written for you by Deborah A. King, SPHR, CEO and Career Coach with Evolution Management, Inc. Debbie and her team can help individuals and organizations navigate the challenging journey of change.  Contact us for more information:  www.evolutionmgt.com; 770.587.9032.

Q&A

It appears my organization is going to merge once again. I survived the last two mergers, but I’m getting nervous. Is there anything I can do to position myself to hang on to my job?
Terry

Check out Dear Jobseeker for my answer to Terry's question.