The Job Search and the Five Rules My Father Passed Along

Yesterday I wrote about the five things my father taught me about life. As I look at them today, and review the various comments and news about the dismal job market, I realize that they are words to live by while job hunting.

There is no doubt in my mind that the employment market is lifeless.  The jobs are lacking and the unemployed are discouraged.  The anger, frustration and cynicism can be seen on any LinkedIn groups, the newspapers, and in the comments section of each article on job search tips.  A growing number of unemployed renegades are out with a vengeance and are lashing out at anyone who may offer a suggestion or make a comment.  Overall it’s discouraging, frustrating and a day-in day-out blow to even the strongest of constitutions.

Getting back to my Dad’s advice, here is how I see his words as they apply to the unemployment mess.

1.    There is no such word as “can’t”: In other words, don’t say there is only one way to do something.  Hard as it is (and I seriously know it is hard), you may have to step out of your comfort zone and job search differently.  Some suggestions may be to network more or with different people, change your resume to reflect each and every job posting, telephone people rather than emailing them... your gut probably can give you some more suggestions.

2.    The harder the hammering, the stronger the steel: Get punched and fall down. Get back up. The job search can feel like this on a daily basis. Sometimes it’s hard to find the good in ourselves after being knocked down so many times. You are who you are first and what your job is second.

3.    The world is your oyster: It’s a big world with many possibilities. Learn new skills, take some free classes, get out and meet new people and share your passions. Share yourself with others by volunteering.

4.    Treat everyone with respect: Whether it is on line or in person, respect is the Golden Rule.  People that you treat kindly may reimburse you some day by remembering you and your job needs.  Plus, aren’t we trying to teach our kids that bullying is wrong? Why do it as an adult?

5.    Do what you love and love what you do: There are a couple of meanings here.  If you love to garden, go outside and blow some steam off. If you love to sing, dance, exercise, write, paint, volunteer… do it. Keep busy and do something else besides job search. There are 24 hours in a day and while many of them should be used for the job search, use some of the others for you and your family. The other meaning here is to figure out what type of career you are passionate about by thinking of your skills, values and personality. Take an assessment and brainstorm people/ways to possible pursue that avenue.

Anything else? Let me know and I'll add it.

Memorial Day and my Dad

Memorial Day has been seared into my heart because of my Dad, Arthur R. Range.  He was a retired Lieutenant Colonel in the US Army who piloted Search and Rescue missions over “The Hump” of China, Burma and India during World War II and later on worked in Army Intelligence during the Cold War.  He often said that his place in life was to serve God, country and his family.  I hated being number three on the list but over the years learned to live with it.   My father died on a Memorial Day seventeen years ago; it wasn’t happenstance that was the day he left us. That was his way, his choice and it certainly made sense, given how he lived his life. 

My father showed me the world; whether we were stationed in Heidelberg, Germany or Eatontown, NJ. Every place was an adventure.  He was the one who taught me how to fold the American flag, make a bed so a quarter would bounce and to stop whatever I was doing, stand up and place my hand over my heart whenever I heard the National Anthem.   I was his “Monkey”, and his lessons have made me who I am. He said:

1.       There is no such word as “can’t”.

2.       The harder the hammering, the stronger the steel.

3.       The world is your oyster.

4.       Treat everyone with respect.

5.       Do what you love and love what you do.

I learned that my dad would take three minute power naps while waiting for takeoff clearance on the narrow landing strips in the jungles of Burma. He told me that he did that because he was nervous. He also lovingly placed the letters and pictures of his nieces in the cockpit with him for good luck. Today, somewhere in Afghanistan or Iraq, there is a brave serviceman or woman doing a similar thing. I thank them for their service, for following in my Dad’s footsteps and for keeping us safe and free.

Handling Various Job Search Situations Part 1

I gave a resume preparation and interviewing class this past Saturday in a local community center.  It was the first nice day this area has seen in weeks and sure enough the rains came back on Sunday. I didn’t think that too many people would come because it was a beautiful day and it was a free class.  Given those odds, it would have been me and the program organizer sharing the platter of a dozen sandwiches.  Much to my surprise, a nice sized group came in and they ranged in age from 15 through the mid-forties. They were all ready to either start or get back into the job market and wanted to know what to do.  My time with them flew and I was humbled by their stories. Some were just getting started (the 15 year old) and others had been affected by serious illness or another disabilities and were concerned that they would be turned away because of the number of years between them and their last jobs.  It seems that the average time away from work with this group was around four years and they were surprised to learn how dramatically the job search scene had changed in that short time.  Here are some of their questions.  How would you answer them?

1.   How do I explain being a stay at home mom?

2.   Will a company lose interest in me because I left my former job on disability?

3.   How do I explain that I left my former company on bad terms?

4.   Most companies want experience but I can’t get it unless someone hires me. How or where can I get it?

5.  As a high school student I like to write. Other than school work, where can I get more practice writing?

Finding Employment After a Conviction

The other day I was asked if I knew of any resources for finding employment after serving out a conviction.  Here are some helpful links.

1. A CNBC Article on finding employment after serving out a sentence. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24428747/

2.America Works has locations throughout the United States.  http://www.americaworks.com/mericaworks.com/

3. An article and video from eHow Money:http://www.ehow.com/video_4908852_employment-ex_cons.html 

4. A series of articles from Love to Know and other sources are at:

http://jobs.lovetoknow.com/Ex-Convicts_Search_for_Employment

5. A blog of articles and resources for ex offenders is: http://jailtojob.com/wordpress/

Some other sites include The Sentencing Project and the Legal Action Center.

Confusing Resume Jargon

The other night on LinkedIn there was a lot of talk about the pros and cons of using a professional resume writer.  One LinkedIn group member was angry about the jargon and tasks associated with writing a resume and wrote a heated entry expressing his frustration. His comments reaffirmed the fact that if you don’t keep up with the new trends in the whole job search process; it’s easy to get lost in the jargon.  He had issues with the newer phrasing that not only professional resume writers are using but also the actual words that have become common place and are thrown around by all job seekers.  Some of these common job search phrases include:

Tailoring Your Resume

Measurable Accomplishments

Skill Set

Tailoring Your Resume – Tailoring is aligning what you did in your past job (or as a volunteer or member of a professional group) to the wording in the job posting. A friend of mine defined it beautifully with, "Words are indeed a suit of clothes; we put them 'on' to express ourselves precisely." If a posting says that you must negotiate, then your resume better show your accomplishments in negotiation.  You should (must) tailor or rewrite your resume for every job that interests you.

Measurable Accomplishments – Everyone has measurable job accomplishments.  These are specific metrics; the “how much”, “how many”, “ahead of schedule”, “exceeding client expectations” of your job. They can include percentages, savings, customer satisfaction numbers, etc.  To find them, you’ll need to examine your Skill Set (see below) and figure out where you exceeded the expectations for your position. Think, “Where was I great and why?” If possible, think about your past annual goals or performance appraisals ratings.

Skill Set- The term skill set refers to the six or so areas that are your strengths. They should be a combination of your job-specific skills and soft skills. To find them, write out your tasks (both professional and as a volunteer or member of a professional group). Next, put a check mark next to the tasks that you enjoy doing.  Of those checked, rate your skill level (high, medium or low).  Finally, identify six skills that you rated as both enjoyable and highly skilled.  This is your skill set.

Like everything in life, change is inevitable and this applies to the job search too. Technology, processes, key words, software scanning systems and so much more have taken what was once a difficult and draining process a step further. Unfortunately, if we don’t go with it (or at least try), someone else will win the golden ticket.
(Post Edited May 22, 2011)

The SMART Resume

Did you ever have to write out your annual goals while working for an organization? If you did, chances are you were asked to make them SMART; Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timely.  You can use this for creating your resume too. Let’s look at an example.

 I ask:  "What do you do?"

You say:"I am a learning and development specialist."

I ask: What do you do in that job?"

You say: I create training programs for my clients.”

I ask: "So what?"

You say: "So what? This is a huge undertaking..."

I ask: "That's what I'm saying, "so what" does it involve and how have you made a difference in your former company?"

And so it goes.  You need to ask yourself, "So what?" for everything you put into your résumé to make it SMART.  If you don't, your resume will sound like a job description and will be tossed in the trash. Like a SMART goal, your resume statements need to be SPECIFIC and MEASURABLE (remember data) and you have to constantly ask yourself about the results of your efforts (the So What?).  Keep in mind the timely aspects of your achievements and if anything went above and beyond the scope of your position.

Let's look at the Learning and Development example again.  Instead of saying “I create learning and development programs for clients”, the “So What?” can include the following questions:

WHO are your clients?  4000 global and domestic clients in the financial services industry.

WHAT do you create? Employee development programs including performance management, coaching, employee development.

WHAT does this involve? Assess, design, development, implementation, media selection, and evaluation.

WHAT were the results? 98% retention and 96% job satisfaction on internal employee satisfaction survey.

WHEN: According to project schedule

WHY: To increase employee engagement and retention.

Then put it together:

Led the Financial Services department in the design, development and implementation of a worldwide employee engagement and performance management initiative. This model was the global standard used within the organization and resulted in 98% employee retention and 96% employee satisfaction. Responsibilities included assessing employee and management needs via gap analysis, program design and development, vendor management, program implementation and measurement. 

See the difference? If you use the SMART acronym for each of your position responsibilities as well as the "So What?" analogy, you'll be well on your way to creating a stronger, focused resume.

Questions to Ask the Interviewer

This is a reposting of a blog from several months ago.

Last night a friend asked me if I could suggest some dynamic questions that she might comfortably ask a Vice President on her second job interview. She did the leg work and studied up on the company and had some questions of her own but just wanted to bounce some ideas off of me.

As we got to talking, we went over the three major areas that a company wants to learn about you. If there is a good match, you are that much closer to getting the job!

1.   Can you do the job?

2.   Do you fit into the company culture?

3.   Do you want this job?

Can you do this job?

This is the regular interviewing discussion about your skill sets and measurable accomplishments.  We’ve talked about these before; you’ll need to review the key words in the job description and tie them to your accomplishments. Be prepared with specific examples of your past behaviors and accomplishments.

Can you fit into the company culture?

Your knowledge of the company, major competitors, recent news articles, key executives and company values will show that you have done your homework and have an understanding of the company. Your responses and questions will help solidify your fit into the organization. 

Do you want this job?

This is obvious but your punctuality, attire, preparation, motivation and body language along with your knowledge of the company and your responses to the interviewer’s questions will convey your desire to do the job. These, along with your specific questions for them can help translate your enthusiasm and eagerness to work for this organization.  

Don’t save your questions for the end of the interview.  An interview is a two-way conversation and your questions may naturally come up in the interview.  Here is a sample list of questions that I gave to my friend.  Like her, you may want to tailor them to your needs.  You can change them to suit the level of the person with whom you are interviewing.  For example:

1.    What are the short and long term goals of this department?

2.    What are the short and long term goals of the organization?

These questions along with more detail on interviewing techniques can be found in my book, Job Search for Moms.

a. What are the short and long term goals of the company?
b. What is the vision of the department?
c. What is the company environment like?
d. What concerns need to be addressed immediately?
e. What do you see happening with this position for the next 3 to 6 months?
f. What are the particular attributes needed to succeed in this job?
g. What are the challenges a person coming to this job will face?