Here's how to make your resume an effective marketing document - marketing YOU and your abilities to a prospective employer.
Your resume is a marketing document. Its job is to position you to get your "right fit" work. Thus, its content and format is crucial. It must convey to potential employers exactly what you have to offer them, as well as the results you are likely to produce for them based on your past record of accomplishments. Here's how to do that.
PROFILE
To begin, I advocate putting a profile at the very start of the resume, just under your name and contact information. A profile is not an objective (of course you want a job), nor is it a litany of your skills (boring!). A profile is a succinct description of who you are in the workplace.
Your profile presents your unique value proposition – what you love to do and are good at doing, the skills you want to use in the future, and the attributes you want to highlight. Your profile also will capture your personality through a judicious use of adjectives. In sum, your profile conveys the substance and flavor of who you are in the workplace.
In some ways, the process of creating the profile is more important than the final product. Developing it gives you the chance to think carefully about your "unique value proposition." In fact, the reader will usually catch the first five or six words of the profile and then move on to Experience. They might come back to it but even if they don't, the profile will make an impression. It says that you've thought about and know who you are.
Everything you say in your profile must be backed up by your accomplishments, which are listed under each employer and job. Essentially, the profile is the thesis that you then go on to prove with concrete examples. It also is useful as a way to ensure that your resume is internally consistent in terms of the message you intend to convey.
OPTIONAL SECTIONS
CORE COMPETENCIES
These are bullets that cite your core skills, industry-specific skills, and specialized abilities or knowledge. If you can, match your skills with key words from the job description so your resume will be selected by any computer program searching for key words (e.g. on LinkedIn or within a company).
KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS
These are stories that highlight key accomplishments, and indicate the scope and impact of your work. Identify three or four accomplishments of which you are really proud. They need to show different aspects of your ability. For example, one story could show your facility with numbers or complexity, another could showcase how you work well with others and team, another could demonstrate how you deal with crises, and the last could focus on long-term payoff of your planning and disciplined execution.
Write out each story and then come up with the headline or punchline. This is the core result and the behavior that led to the result. The best headlines tell a pretty complete story even if someone doesn’t read the whole story. When you write your story, remember that numbers really help tell the story. And the shorter and pithier the story, the easier it is to get someone to read it.
Use bullets to list the stories, and put the headlines in bold.
BODY OF RESUME
The first thing read by a prospective employer is the name of the company for which you worked. Then they usually will glance at the title and years worked - some will read title first while others read years worked first.
Here's the order of information that I recommend for the basic information:
* Employer's name first, in bold, followed by its location, not in bold. Use the city in which employer is/was located. Only include the state if the city is not immediately recognizable e.g. Wareham, MA, or is easily confused with something else, e.g. Springfield, MO vs. Springfield, IL vs. Springfield, MA. Otherwise, New York or Boston or Chicago or Los Angeles is sufficient.
* Dates of employment, not in bold, on the same text line as the employer's name and location. The dates should be tabbed over so they are on the far right of the page, preferably lined up with the right side of your address block.
If you worked at the company in more than one position, put the complete block of time over the far right. Next to each position title you can put in parentheses the dates you held that position. For example, Vice President, Sales (3/02 to 7/05).
Job titles can either be grouped together if your job responsibilities were substantially the same with the most recent encompassing the previous responsibilities plus more. If the jobs were substantially different, I treat each one as a separate job under the same employer.
* Title of your position, in bold and italics, directly underneath the employer name and location.
My experience is that most readers go through the entire resume once just glancing at employer, years and title. If all seems to be complete and consistent, then they glance at education to see if you have any degrees. So make sure you have no huge holes in time, and no major typos!
Only after that first quick read will they go back to look at individual jobs, starting with your most recent one first. After rereading your employer's name and title, usually readers will move to the body of the entry.
Here's what the body of your resume should contain:
* a brief paragraph describing your job
* bullet points that highlight your accomplishments
JOB DESCRIPTION
Briefly describe the company you work for and your job responsibilities, in a four to six line paragraph that starts on the line directly underneath the title of your position. Say "Led all communications and marketing efforts for Fortune 1000 technology firm (STOCK SYMBOL)" or "Oversaw day to day operations for 45 year old non-profit teaching literacy to adult New Yorkers" or "Managed entire recruiting and on-boarding process for 300 person homeless services agency."
Use as many numbers as possible to give readers a good idea of the scope and depth of your responsibilities. For example, say "oversaw $3.5 million advertising budget" or "supervised team of 12, with four direct reports."
Readers' eyes are drawn first to numbers, then to CAPS, then to bold. Italics are rarely an eye-catcher, so use them only to indicate the title of an article or project, not for anything substantive.
BULLETS
Bullets are for accomplishments. I recommend limiting yourself to 5-7 bullets for your most recent job, 4-5 for your next most recent, maximum 2 for the next most recent and none for the oldest ones. Quantifying these bullets is important. Those are the things that will get you the interview. The interview allows you to fill in more detail and also to talk about accomplishments that weren't listed.
Here are my tips for great accomplishment bullets:
* Lead with the results and impact of your work, when writing accomplishments. Use active, directionally positive words like "increased," "improved," "advanced," "optimized," "enhanced" and "expanded."
* Use numbers as much as possible, especially with dollar signs and percentage signs; they are real eye-catchers and speak to many employers' focus on the bottom line.
* Split the accomplishment into "what" and "how": the impact or result, and how you achieved that result. For example, "Increased revenue year over year by 80%, through redeploying sales team."
* Ask “so what” to get to the impact of whatever activity you want to include. If you want to include it, it’s probably important but only if you can somehow tie it to an impact that is somehow measurable – as in “increased” and “improved” and “enhanced” and “expanded” – or gives clear evidence of major responsibility, as in “directed,” “led,” “managed,” “launched,” and “created.”
* Brevity is best. Limit each bullet to one, maximum two lines.
* Give leading information to cause the reader to ask a follow up question. Remember, the point of a resume is to get you an interview. The interview is where the reader can ask you to explain how you redeployed the sales team and why that resulted in 80% revenue increase.
* Only include things you really want to do again – similar or greater scope of responsibility, the type of work or project, specific skills you really want to use again, or attributes you want people to notice.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Why I Do What I Do
My coaching experience is one of the reasons I decided to start coaching, to offer others the same kind of help I got. I worked with a coach for 12 years while I was CEO of City Harvest and then of New York Restoration Project. It was one of the best decisions I ever made as I credit her support, insight, tools and guidance with much of my success.
It's so difficult to work alone - and working alone means being a business owner, a leader of a company or division - anywhere you aren't free to openly share your concerns, worries, difficult decisions, dreams and hopes. My coach was the person who I trusted, a sounding board and thought partner who could help me navigate through the challenges I faced every day (or at least every week!).
A job search is probably the most "alone" thing one can do in terms of work. Family, friends and neighbors all are rooting for you yet also can put immense pressure on you to do it their way or at least just find the next job FAST! Plus very few people know how a job search really works, nor do they have experience in what works most effectively to help you land a job and keep your spirits up while you're looking.
Networking definitely is helpful in terms of talking to people who might know your industry and possibly people you can talk to about possible openings. Yet doing a lot of networking with people who also are out of work can get depressing, and you can't really help each other out because you are in the same boat - no job, no decision-making power.
When I worked with a coach, I got access to her breadth of experience. She had her own professional experience to draw on, which was fantastic. More, she coached a lot of people and could draw examples from their experience that helped me.
Coaches who help lots of job seekers are able to see trends:
* the strategies and tactics most effective in resumes, cover letters, interview techniques, networking
* what employers look for
* the state of the job market
* new tools and emerging opportunities, e.g. social media
* how to handle various challenges, from how do I network to how do I negotiate an offer
* employment law
* ways to cope with frustration
That's what makes a coach so valuable - they have access to a broad range of information that they then bring to the table to help little ol' you. By yourself, you can do a lot. With a coach, you can do SO much more. You can avoid costly mistakes by learning from the experiences of others, and hopefully make your job search end more quickly and successfully.
Check out the coaches at Careerealism.com and do a test drive to see if coaching might be an option to help speed your job search.
It's so difficult to work alone - and working alone means being a business owner, a leader of a company or division - anywhere you aren't free to openly share your concerns, worries, difficult decisions, dreams and hopes. My coach was the person who I trusted, a sounding board and thought partner who could help me navigate through the challenges I faced every day (or at least every week!).
A job search is probably the most "alone" thing one can do in terms of work. Family, friends and neighbors all are rooting for you yet also can put immense pressure on you to do it their way or at least just find the next job FAST! Plus very few people know how a job search really works, nor do they have experience in what works most effectively to help you land a job and keep your spirits up while you're looking.
Networking definitely is helpful in terms of talking to people who might know your industry and possibly people you can talk to about possible openings. Yet doing a lot of networking with people who also are out of work can get depressing, and you can't really help each other out because you are in the same boat - no job, no decision-making power.
When I worked with a coach, I got access to her breadth of experience. She had her own professional experience to draw on, which was fantastic. More, she coached a lot of people and could draw examples from their experience that helped me.
Coaches who help lots of job seekers are able to see trends:
* the strategies and tactics most effective in resumes, cover letters, interview techniques, networking
* what employers look for
* the state of the job market
* new tools and emerging opportunities, e.g. social media
* how to handle various challenges, from how do I network to how do I negotiate an offer
* employment law
* ways to cope with frustration
That's what makes a coach so valuable - they have access to a broad range of information that they then bring to the table to help little ol' you. By yourself, you can do a lot. With a coach, you can do SO much more. You can avoid costly mistakes by learning from the experiences of others, and hopefully make your job search end more quickly and successfully.
Check out the coaches at Careerealism.com and do a test drive to see if coaching might be an option to help speed your job search.
Monday, February 15, 2010
When Interviews Go Well
This morning, I got to do some mock interviewing with Lisa who is going for a third interview for a great job, one she wants. Then I read Rachel Zupek's great piece on Careerbuilder about how to know whether your interview went well. Add to these my own long experience interviewing people (and being interviewed), and I have something to say about coping with and moving on from good interview experiences.
Lisa's experience mirrors that of the article - she felt comfortable in her first two interviews, she was invited back after her first interview for a group interview. In the second interview, there was a lot of head nodding and a conversational feel, people laughed and allowed her to ask some questions, and she felt welcome and at ease. Later, her primary contact told her she was the group's #1 candidate, asked for her references, and asked her about salary. You couldn't ask for anything more positive than that - except the actual offer and "when can you start?"
Now she is going before the top boss, and is understandably nervous. In part, she is nervous because she got word from her contact that the top boss isn't sold on her. This is NOT simply a formality, it's a real interview to see if Lisa has what it takes to do the job in question.
Lisa's not alone in being nervous, however. When interviews go well, and you move on to the next stage, the stakes feel higher all of a sudden. It feel like there is more to lose. And sometimes people blow second interviews because of nerves.
I wish I could get into people's heads and say "they already like you! Simply continue being yourself."
It reminded me of what I told myself one day before a pivotal interview for what became my job at City Harvest: they need to hire someone, they want me to be the one because then I would be the answer to their prayers, so I have a friendly audience. They want to hire someone - why not me?
That shift in perspective was very important, because I felt so much more at ease with the sense that I was going into a situation where people were predisposed to like me. Once I got to the final interview, it was mine to lose. All I had to do was show them that I really was the right candidate.
Here's what interviewers look for on the second, third, fourth interviews: more of what they liked in the first place.
* Do I still like you?
* Are we comfortable together?
* Do you really know your stuff?
* Can you give me more in-depth answers?
* Do I understand and respect your thinking process and problem-solving approach?
* Will it be easy to work with you?
* Are your standards of quality and excellence similar to mine?
* Do your values align with mine and the organization's?
* Can you substantiate what you claim are your accomplishments?
* Are you comfortable with me or too nervous/too arrogant?
* Do you respond well to unexpected questions?
* Do I trust your answers or do you seem too glib and packaged?
This is an amalgam of substance, personality and gut feeling.
SUBSTANCE: If you've made it past the first interview, you can feel fairly confident that your experience, skills and expertise meets the minimum requirements. Now the interviewer wants to know more details, to find out how you think, how you approach problems, how you resolve challenges. So have some good stories to tell that describe your approach.
PERSONALITY: The "chemistry" check is really important in the second and subsequent interviews. And it's not just the interviewer who needs to check "chemistry." Remember, if you're not comfortable in the interview, that tells you a lot about whether this is a place you want to work. Be your professional self. Wait to see what they offer and want to know. Ask a few questions in a conversational tone. Avoid confrontation or making any demands.
GUT FEELING: Gut feeling is the interviewer's sense of whether you're the "right fit" overall. While there may not be a whole lot you can do to influence their gut feeling, it does help for you to demonstrate knowledge of and passion/enthusiasm for the company's work and the job in question. So do some more research. Show you did your homework.
And most important: be willing to show that you really want the job. I only wanted to hire people who really wanted the job, assuming they met the basic qualifications. So I have hired a few people who've said "I really want to work for you" or "I really want to work for this organization" or "I really want this job." Saying that out loud tells me a couple of things about the person: that s/he knows what s/he wants, that s/he is willing to take a risk and state his/her truth, and that s/he is really motivated to do the job.
SALARY: In rare circumstances, the final interviewer may offer you the job on the spot. If the salary is acceptable, go for it! If it is unacceptable, you can do one of two things:
* Say "I am so excited to do this job! The salary is lower than I anticipated. Is there any room for negotiation?" Usually there is some room. Sometimes there is no room for negotiation. In that case, you can say "Thank you! I am so excited. I'd like to go home and talk to {someone} and get back to you on that." In this case, you are essentially accepting the job while hoping for a better outcome.
* Say "Thank you so much for the offer! As you know, I really want this job and it would be fantastic to work for you. However, I was hoping for a salary of $xxxxx. Is that possible now or sometime in the near future?" In this case, you are essentially turning down the job unless you get the salary you want.
If you don't get the job after all that, it wasn't meant to be and it probably wouldn't have been a great fit after all. Yes, you'll be disappointed. Yet you didn't have the job in the first place so what you lost was a hope, not the actual job.
Lisa's experience mirrors that of the article - she felt comfortable in her first two interviews, she was invited back after her first interview for a group interview. In the second interview, there was a lot of head nodding and a conversational feel, people laughed and allowed her to ask some questions, and she felt welcome and at ease. Later, her primary contact told her she was the group's #1 candidate, asked for her references, and asked her about salary. You couldn't ask for anything more positive than that - except the actual offer and "when can you start?"
Now she is going before the top boss, and is understandably nervous. In part, she is nervous because she got word from her contact that the top boss isn't sold on her. This is NOT simply a formality, it's a real interview to see if Lisa has what it takes to do the job in question.
Lisa's not alone in being nervous, however. When interviews go well, and you move on to the next stage, the stakes feel higher all of a sudden. It feel like there is more to lose. And sometimes people blow second interviews because of nerves.
I wish I could get into people's heads and say "they already like you! Simply continue being yourself."
It reminded me of what I told myself one day before a pivotal interview for what became my job at City Harvest: they need to hire someone, they want me to be the one because then I would be the answer to their prayers, so I have a friendly audience. They want to hire someone - why not me?
That shift in perspective was very important, because I felt so much more at ease with the sense that I was going into a situation where people were predisposed to like me. Once I got to the final interview, it was mine to lose. All I had to do was show them that I really was the right candidate.
Here's what interviewers look for on the second, third, fourth interviews: more of what they liked in the first place.
* Do I still like you?
* Are we comfortable together?
* Do you really know your stuff?
* Can you give me more in-depth answers?
* Do I understand and respect your thinking process and problem-solving approach?
* Will it be easy to work with you?
* Are your standards of quality and excellence similar to mine?
* Do your values align with mine and the organization's?
* Can you substantiate what you claim are your accomplishments?
* Are you comfortable with me or too nervous/too arrogant?
* Do you respond well to unexpected questions?
* Do I trust your answers or do you seem too glib and packaged?
This is an amalgam of substance, personality and gut feeling.
SUBSTANCE: If you've made it past the first interview, you can feel fairly confident that your experience, skills and expertise meets the minimum requirements. Now the interviewer wants to know more details, to find out how you think, how you approach problems, how you resolve challenges. So have some good stories to tell that describe your approach.
PERSONALITY: The "chemistry" check is really important in the second and subsequent interviews. And it's not just the interviewer who needs to check "chemistry." Remember, if you're not comfortable in the interview, that tells you a lot about whether this is a place you want to work. Be your professional self. Wait to see what they offer and want to know. Ask a few questions in a conversational tone. Avoid confrontation or making any demands.
GUT FEELING: Gut feeling is the interviewer's sense of whether you're the "right fit" overall. While there may not be a whole lot you can do to influence their gut feeling, it does help for you to demonstrate knowledge of and passion/enthusiasm for the company's work and the job in question. So do some more research. Show you did your homework.
And most important: be willing to show that you really want the job. I only wanted to hire people who really wanted the job, assuming they met the basic qualifications. So I have hired a few people who've said "I really want to work for you" or "I really want to work for this organization" or "I really want this job." Saying that out loud tells me a couple of things about the person: that s/he knows what s/he wants, that s/he is willing to take a risk and state his/her truth, and that s/he is really motivated to do the job.
SALARY: In rare circumstances, the final interviewer may offer you the job on the spot. If the salary is acceptable, go for it! If it is unacceptable, you can do one of two things:
* Say "I am so excited to do this job! The salary is lower than I anticipated. Is there any room for negotiation?" Usually there is some room. Sometimes there is no room for negotiation. In that case, you can say "Thank you! I am so excited. I'd like to go home and talk to {someone} and get back to you on that." In this case, you are essentially accepting the job while hoping for a better outcome.
* Say "Thank you so much for the offer! As you know, I really want this job and it would be fantastic to work for you. However, I was hoping for a salary of $xxxxx. Is that possible now or sometime in the near future?" In this case, you are essentially turning down the job unless you get the salary you want.
If you don't get the job after all that, it wasn't meant to be and it probably wouldn't have been a great fit after all. Yes, you'll be disappointed. Yet you didn't have the job in the first place so what you lost was a hope, not the actual job.
Friday, February 12, 2010
MUST HAVES! FAQ #s 5 & 6: Working with Your Must Have List
Job seekers can get specific about what you really want from a job through your Must Have List. The Must Have List allows you to specify your bottom line requirements for your "right fit" job - those things that will make it possible for you to take and stay in a job happily. Once you've come up with that ideal, two questions often arise:
* I finished my Must Have List. Now what do I do with it?
* I can’t seem to find any jobs that match my criteria. What do I do now?
Once you have a Must Have List, you can begin to use it to evaluate job possibilities throughout the entire job search process - from deciding which jobs to apply for, to negotiating a job offer. In interviews, you use the list as a guide to questions you will ask the employer, to find out if this job is in fact the "right fit" for you.
Someone right now is in the fortunate position of be considered for several possible jobs at a single company. She is using her Must Have List to guide discussions toward the position that most nearly meets her requirements. For example, she does not want to relocate to the Middle East but would be OK moving to Europe. She has a strong sense of the right compensation for the work she wants to do, as well as a very powerful need to do work at the right level for her skills and abilities. If these two things are not right, she will not pursue a job. She has specific subject matter expertise, so clearly she's looking for a chance to use that expertise. As she continues in her discussions, she'll ask questions intended to find out how much authority she will have and the location of the position.
Another person decided not to apply for some positions right off the bat because, though they initially appeared to have the right title, a close reading of the job posting revealed that either the position was really too junior, the organization was too small to pay her what she needed, or the responsibilities were too narrow.
Those are good ways to use the Must Have List. Another good way to use the Must Have List is using it as the basis for developing your short answer to the question "what are you looking for?" Short, specific, to the point answers will help people point you to possible opportunities.
Of course, too narrowly interpreting the Must Have List can be a way for you to stop yourself from applying for jobs. While there are six elements of the Must Have List, it is unrealistic to expect to get a job that matches all six elements. (If everything is perfect, there's no room for growth!) Our goal is for you to get a position that offers 50 to 75% of what you Must Have.
It's good to apply for most jobs that immediately interest you, even if at second glance you think it could never meet your needs. If you are the least bit ambivalent, apply. Your application is simply the beginning of the conversation. You will later find out what the job really entails. So start talking. Indicate willingness to fully engage in your job search by applying to several jobs a week. Network, too, so you start learning about "hidden job market" positions that may more closely align with your Must Have List.
* I finished my Must Have List. Now what do I do with it?
* I can’t seem to find any jobs that match my criteria. What do I do now?
Once you have a Must Have List, you can begin to use it to evaluate job possibilities throughout the entire job search process - from deciding which jobs to apply for, to negotiating a job offer. In interviews, you use the list as a guide to questions you will ask the employer, to find out if this job is in fact the "right fit" for you.
Someone right now is in the fortunate position of be considered for several possible jobs at a single company. She is using her Must Have List to guide discussions toward the position that most nearly meets her requirements. For example, she does not want to relocate to the Middle East but would be OK moving to Europe. She has a strong sense of the right compensation for the work she wants to do, as well as a very powerful need to do work at the right level for her skills and abilities. If these two things are not right, she will not pursue a job. She has specific subject matter expertise, so clearly she's looking for a chance to use that expertise. As she continues in her discussions, she'll ask questions intended to find out how much authority she will have and the location of the position.
Another person decided not to apply for some positions right off the bat because, though they initially appeared to have the right title, a close reading of the job posting revealed that either the position was really too junior, the organization was too small to pay her what she needed, or the responsibilities were too narrow.
Those are good ways to use the Must Have List. Another good way to use the Must Have List is using it as the basis for developing your short answer to the question "what are you looking for?" Short, specific, to the point answers will help people point you to possible opportunities.
Of course, too narrowly interpreting the Must Have List can be a way for you to stop yourself from applying for jobs. While there are six elements of the Must Have List, it is unrealistic to expect to get a job that matches all six elements. (If everything is perfect, there's no room for growth!) Our goal is for you to get a position that offers 50 to 75% of what you Must Have.
It's good to apply for most jobs that immediately interest you, even if at second glance you think it could never meet your needs. If you are the least bit ambivalent, apply. Your application is simply the beginning of the conversation. You will later find out what the job really entails. So start talking. Indicate willingness to fully engage in your job search by applying to several jobs a week. Network, too, so you start learning about "hidden job market" positions that may more closely align with your Must Have List.
Friday, February 5, 2010
The Power of Specificity
This post by Paul DeBettignies (Minnesota Headhunter) demonstrates how powerful it is when you get specific about the kind of job you want.
Paul tells the story of writing down his dream job and then almost immediately being offered the exact job. He manifested exactly what he wrote!
Then he turned it down. Because it wasn't really his dream job. It would have taken far more time than he wanted to work at this point in his life.
The lessons I take away from this story are:
1) Be specific about what you want. When you are specific, the universe can deliver what you want. It may not happen immediately, but it will happen when you do the necessary work. That means telling the right people what you want, for people are the agents of the universe. Who are the right people? You'll find out! So tell everyone and then see what happens.
2) Specificity about a job is about its elements, not its title. I noticed that Paul listed things like "Being a Recruiter (not not the account management side)", "Creating relationships, being an evangelist," "Helping job seekers" and "Doing some training, teaching." These are about his role, the skills he wants to use, the impact he wants to have, and the culture he wants to work in. Nowhere does he say "Vice President" or "Manager."
3) Be careful what you ask for! Make sure your description of your dream job leaves room for other relationships and activities that are important to you. Or it isn't really your dream job.
Specificity is powerful, in all its aspects. Getting specific does require you to focus on what you love to do and what you want to do again, the environments in which you thrive, and the impact you want to make. And it requires writing it down! That will allow you to edit, fine-tune, and see whether you've gotten it right.
You'll know you've described your "right fit" job when you get a smile on your face when reading the list, or feel excited, or your gut just feels "right."
Paul tells the story of writing down his dream job and then almost immediately being offered the exact job. He manifested exactly what he wrote!
Then he turned it down. Because it wasn't really his dream job. It would have taken far more time than he wanted to work at this point in his life.
The lessons I take away from this story are:
1) Be specific about what you want. When you are specific, the universe can deliver what you want. It may not happen immediately, but it will happen when you do the necessary work. That means telling the right people what you want, for people are the agents of the universe. Who are the right people? You'll find out! So tell everyone and then see what happens.
2) Specificity about a job is about its elements, not its title. I noticed that Paul listed things like "Being a Recruiter (not not the account management side)", "Creating relationships, being an evangelist," "Helping job seekers" and "Doing some training, teaching." These are about his role, the skills he wants to use, the impact he wants to have, and the culture he wants to work in. Nowhere does he say "Vice President" or "Manager."
3) Be careful what you ask for! Make sure your description of your dream job leaves room for other relationships and activities that are important to you. Or it isn't really your dream job.
Specificity is powerful, in all its aspects. Getting specific does require you to focus on what you love to do and what you want to do again, the environments in which you thrive, and the impact you want to make. And it requires writing it down! That will allow you to edit, fine-tune, and see whether you've gotten it right.
You'll know you've described your "right fit" job when you get a smile on your face when reading the list, or feel excited, or your gut just feels "right."
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Free e-book - with one catch!
I'm offering a free e-book called Your "Right Fit" Job: Guide to Finding Work You Love, to anyone who wants it. The book is based on my very successful approach to job search.
There's only one catch: I need your e-mail address to send you the book.
The process is to request the book via a comment on this post (or any other post) that INCLUDES name your e-mail address.
I moderate comments, so your information will NOT appear on this blog. I erase comments after getting the needed information.
Several people have requested the book yet not included their e-mail address. Alas, I cannot send the book any other way. If you are one of those disappointed people, please make a new comment and your e-book will soon be in your in-box.
Thanks for the chance to be of service.
There's only one catch: I need your e-mail address to send you the book.
The process is to request the book via a comment on this post (or any other post) that INCLUDES name your e-mail address.
I moderate comments, so your information will NOT appear on this blog. I erase comments after getting the needed information.
Several people have requested the book yet not included their e-mail address. Alas, I cannot send the book any other way. If you are one of those disappointed people, please make a new comment and your e-book will soon be in your in-box.
Thanks for the chance to be of service.
Tell Stories to Show Off Your Value
Story telling is a proven method for conveying key messages, usually by teachers, leaders and journalists. It is a technique that can work for job seekers, also, especially at a senior level. It’s a way for you to highlight key accomplishments, and indicate the scope and impact of your work.
Here’s how to do it:
1) Identify three or four accomplishments of which you are really proud. They need to show different aspects of your ability. For example, one story could show your facility with numbers or complexity, another could showcase how you work well with others and team, another could demonstrate how you deal with crises, and the last could focus on long-term payoff of your planning and disciplined execution.
If you've used my Accomplishments worksheet, you already have a lot of the raw material for your stories. See my post from yesterday.
If you come up with five or six, chances are that some of them contain similar elements. You can combine them under one heading, to demonstrate a consistent thread through your career and a clear talent and knack for succeeding in those situations. Numbers really help tell the story!
2) Write out the story and then come up with the headline or punchline. This is the core result and the behavior that led to the result. A great result is directional, meaning you affected something – preferably positively. For example, say “increased cost-effectiveness of campaign” instead of “reduced costs of campaign.” People would rather be associated with something that’s growing or happy or positive. The best headlines tell a pretty complete story even if someone doesn’t read the whole story.
3) Edit, edit, edit! The shorter and pithier the story, the easier it is to get someone to read it.
4) Add the stories to your resume. Place a KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS section immediately under your PROFILE and before your EXPERIENCE.
This whole exercise will prepare you extremely well for any interviews you have. It also helps you identify your core value proposition.
Here are three examples.
Telecom Marketing Leader
KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS
• Launched successful products in highly competitive markets. As part of nationwide key market launch, introduced wireless company as the 4th entrant into an already competitive market. Launch ranked sixth out of 40 markets, despite company’s smaller coverage area and more expensive equipment. For another company, took over mid-launch of cable modems in Los Angeles area. Increased sales by 150% over first part of roll-out. Created marketing campaign and participated in analyst tour that secured $11M for US launch of Finnish company offering next generation DSL.
• Transformed liabilities into profit by developing cost effective marketing opportunities. Identified opportunity to save customers and revenue by buying third party ISP vendors that were going out of business. Framed opportunity and championed idea internally. Received buy-in and was appointed by the CEO to team building the transition plan. As a result, over 75% of customers were retained and revenues stayed within budget.
• Created groundbreaking effective marketing programs. Created first wireless kiosk and subsequent roll-out as a transformative approach to increasing indirect sales channels. With New Orleans Saints’ owner’s company, created and co-marketed Automotive Dealership Program which put “car phones” at his 12 car dealerships where people were buying cars. Result was 200% increase in sales.
• Generated sizeable sales leads through co-marketing and visibility campaigns. Created program with malls to offer their customers free or discounted wireless phones when they purchased a specific amount. Increased sales by 150% during the holiday season. Idea was converted into a company-wide program. Utilized NFL sponsorship to wildly promote launch of [company] with advertising, speaking engagements, grass roots marketing and an on-site promotion that generated 4000 sales leads pre-launch.
Financial Services Marketing Executive
KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Transformed internal culture after financial crisis. Conceived of and sold idea for video featuring senior leadership discussing Prime Finance looking forward past the financial crisis. Created look and feel of video in collaboration with producer. Kept production on time and under budget with shooting in NY, London and Hong Kong. Well received by teams at all levels; shown at several senior off-sites throughout the year. Long term impact is significantly improved staff morale and productivity in each region.
Maximized revenue by focusing on world-class platforms for most profitable hedge fund strategies. Identified revenue opportunities by segmenting clients by strategy, drawing on internal knowledge gathered by sales team, especially those who worked at other firms and at hedge funds. Assessed competitive environment and client needs. Got buy-in from senior management to shift development priorities to focus on most potentially profitable strategies. Revised product development platform and supplied sales team with information on key attributes and benefits.
Increased sales results through targeted internal marketing campaign. Designed multi-step, easily repeatable Cross-Sell Campaign targeted to regional trading and sales groups in the US. Crafted marketing messages with Heads of Sales and Equities to generate buy-in across diverse teams. Developed materials aligned with [company] brand and business goals. Facilitated the cross sell roundtable sessions. Impact included immediate significant increase in cross-sell, tighter relationships between sales desks within capital markets, and increased visibility for Prime Finance.
Reinforced overall brand strategy by ensuring cultural alignment throughout operations. At Prime Finance, led the merger of three distinct Prime Brokerage businesses. Rapidly wove them into one cohesive business group, in part by creating Prime Finance University that taught staff about shared business goals, culture and values. For [company] office build-out, communicated company brand clearly to architects, designers and contractors. Oversaw all elements of the build to ensure adherence to the brand. Final offices delivered on time and within budget, reflected the company culture and brand, and well received by senior management and staff.
High-Impact Senior Operations Executive
KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS
• Brought several new products to market. Commercialized 3 new instant imaging products last assignment. In a prior post, diversified existing medical imaging portfolio at cGMP plants by introducing diagnostic, radio-diagnostic and immunoassay products. Appointed by CEO to Board’s Technology Investments Committee to contribute to key product development and technology investment decisions. Experience in all aspects of Product Lifecycle from design, development, scale-up and launch to portfolio management and exit-planning.
• Transformed liabilities into profit through sales of plants and assets. Identified opportunity to generate cash by selling plant was scheduled for closing. Framed the opportunity and championed idea internally, and then partnered with Corporate Business Development to find a buyer. The parent firm sold the plant to a new entity, in exchange for an equity stake, a board position (that I held), and cash. Sales of assets exceeded cost of closing the product line. When the new company was sold within one year, we realized profits of $XX. In earlier positions, closed other plants, and sold operating sites and manufacturing equipment while meeting all US and foreign regulatory requirements.
• Exceeded profit targets. Closed a $500M product line, by developing and successfully implementing a Long Range Plan including a communications strategy. External consultants predicted minimal gain on the sale, yet successfully delivered $168M in operating profits on revenue of $960M over thirty-month period – 266% higher than expected. Profit margin was 17.5%. In another position, turned around $4M division from operating loss of $250K to operating profit of $400K in 18 months.
• Reduced worldwide inventory and increased cash flow. As CEO-appointed “Product Czar,” led a global initiative in key $700M world-wide division that reduced inventory and improved cash flow while maintaining excellent customer fulfillment performance.
Here’s how to do it:
1) Identify three or four accomplishments of which you are really proud. They need to show different aspects of your ability. For example, one story could show your facility with numbers or complexity, another could showcase how you work well with others and team, another could demonstrate how you deal with crises, and the last could focus on long-term payoff of your planning and disciplined execution.
If you've used my Accomplishments worksheet, you already have a lot of the raw material for your stories. See my post from yesterday.
If you come up with five or six, chances are that some of them contain similar elements. You can combine them under one heading, to demonstrate a consistent thread through your career and a clear talent and knack for succeeding in those situations. Numbers really help tell the story!
2) Write out the story and then come up with the headline or punchline. This is the core result and the behavior that led to the result. A great result is directional, meaning you affected something – preferably positively. For example, say “increased cost-effectiveness of campaign” instead of “reduced costs of campaign.” People would rather be associated with something that’s growing or happy or positive. The best headlines tell a pretty complete story even if someone doesn’t read the whole story.
3) Edit, edit, edit! The shorter and pithier the story, the easier it is to get someone to read it.
4) Add the stories to your resume. Place a KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS section immediately under your PROFILE and before your EXPERIENCE.
This whole exercise will prepare you extremely well for any interviews you have. It also helps you identify your core value proposition.
Here are three examples.
Telecom Marketing Leader
KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS
• Launched successful products in highly competitive markets. As part of nationwide key market launch, introduced wireless company as the 4th entrant into an already competitive market. Launch ranked sixth out of 40 markets, despite company’s smaller coverage area and more expensive equipment. For another company, took over mid-launch of cable modems in Los Angeles area. Increased sales by 150% over first part of roll-out. Created marketing campaign and participated in analyst tour that secured $11M for US launch of Finnish company offering next generation DSL.
• Transformed liabilities into profit by developing cost effective marketing opportunities. Identified opportunity to save customers and revenue by buying third party ISP vendors that were going out of business. Framed opportunity and championed idea internally. Received buy-in and was appointed by the CEO to team building the transition plan. As a result, over 75% of customers were retained and revenues stayed within budget.
• Created groundbreaking effective marketing programs. Created first wireless kiosk and subsequent roll-out as a transformative approach to increasing indirect sales channels. With New Orleans Saints’ owner’s company, created and co-marketed Automotive Dealership Program which put “car phones” at his 12 car dealerships where people were buying cars. Result was 200% increase in sales.
• Generated sizeable sales leads through co-marketing and visibility campaigns. Created program with malls to offer their customers free or discounted wireless phones when they purchased a specific amount. Increased sales by 150% during the holiday season. Idea was converted into a company-wide program. Utilized NFL sponsorship to wildly promote launch of [company] with advertising, speaking engagements, grass roots marketing and an on-site promotion that generated 4000 sales leads pre-launch.
Financial Services Marketing Executive
KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Transformed internal culture after financial crisis. Conceived of and sold idea for video featuring senior leadership discussing Prime Finance looking forward past the financial crisis. Created look and feel of video in collaboration with producer. Kept production on time and under budget with shooting in NY, London and Hong Kong. Well received by teams at all levels; shown at several senior off-sites throughout the year. Long term impact is significantly improved staff morale and productivity in each region.
Maximized revenue by focusing on world-class platforms for most profitable hedge fund strategies. Identified revenue opportunities by segmenting clients by strategy, drawing on internal knowledge gathered by sales team, especially those who worked at other firms and at hedge funds. Assessed competitive environment and client needs. Got buy-in from senior management to shift development priorities to focus on most potentially profitable strategies. Revised product development platform and supplied sales team with information on key attributes and benefits.
Increased sales results through targeted internal marketing campaign. Designed multi-step, easily repeatable Cross-Sell Campaign targeted to regional trading and sales groups in the US. Crafted marketing messages with Heads of Sales and Equities to generate buy-in across diverse teams. Developed materials aligned with [company] brand and business goals. Facilitated the cross sell roundtable sessions. Impact included immediate significant increase in cross-sell, tighter relationships between sales desks within capital markets, and increased visibility for Prime Finance.
Reinforced overall brand strategy by ensuring cultural alignment throughout operations. At Prime Finance, led the merger of three distinct Prime Brokerage businesses. Rapidly wove them into one cohesive business group, in part by creating Prime Finance University that taught staff about shared business goals, culture and values. For [company] office build-out, communicated company brand clearly to architects, designers and contractors. Oversaw all elements of the build to ensure adherence to the brand. Final offices delivered on time and within budget, reflected the company culture and brand, and well received by senior management and staff.
High-Impact Senior Operations Executive
KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS
• Brought several new products to market. Commercialized 3 new instant imaging products last assignment. In a prior post, diversified existing medical imaging portfolio at cGMP plants by introducing diagnostic, radio-diagnostic and immunoassay products. Appointed by CEO to Board’s Technology Investments Committee to contribute to key product development and technology investment decisions. Experience in all aspects of Product Lifecycle from design, development, scale-up and launch to portfolio management and exit-planning.
• Transformed liabilities into profit through sales of plants and assets. Identified opportunity to generate cash by selling plant was scheduled for closing. Framed the opportunity and championed idea internally, and then partnered with Corporate Business Development to find a buyer. The parent firm sold the plant to a new entity, in exchange for an equity stake, a board position (that I held), and cash. Sales of assets exceeded cost of closing the product line. When the new company was sold within one year, we realized profits of $XX. In earlier positions, closed other plants, and sold operating sites and manufacturing equipment while meeting all US and foreign regulatory requirements.
• Exceeded profit targets. Closed a $500M product line, by developing and successfully implementing a Long Range Plan including a communications strategy. External consultants predicted minimal gain on the sale, yet successfully delivered $168M in operating profits on revenue of $960M over thirty-month period – 266% higher than expected. Profit margin was 17.5%. In another position, turned around $4M division from operating loss of $250K to operating profit of $400K in 18 months.
• Reduced worldwide inventory and increased cash flow. As CEO-appointed “Product Czar,” led a global initiative in key $700M world-wide division that reduced inventory and improved cash flow while maintaining excellent customer fulfillment performance.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Accomplishments
It's critical to include accomplishments in your resume. Here is a simple way to identify them.
Make a four column, four row table. On top of the columns, list these questions across the table (one per column).
* What did you succeed at or accomplish?
* When, where and with who did you do this?
* How did you do this? What actions or steps did you take?
* What was most satisfying about it and why?
Remember that accomplishments are about impact - on the job, the field, the world, your life. Ideally, impact can be measured with numbers (e.g. percentages, dollars, amounts) and is directional, meaning you moved something from one place to another (increased, improved, raised, launched, etc.)
I like to use positive words because people usually like to be associated with something growing, expanding, opening up, happy and forward-looking. In some cases, words like "reduced" and "decreased" are appropriate.
Make a four column, four row table. On top of the columns, list these questions across the table (one per column).
* What did you succeed at or accomplish?
* When, where and with who did you do this?
* How did you do this? What actions or steps did you take?
* What was most satisfying about it and why?
Remember that accomplishments are about impact - on the job, the field, the world, your life. Ideally, impact can be measured with numbers (e.g. percentages, dollars, amounts) and is directional, meaning you moved something from one place to another (increased, improved, raised, launched, etc.)
I like to use positive words because people usually like to be associated with something growing, expanding, opening up, happy and forward-looking. In some cases, words like "reduced" and "decreased" are appropriate.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Now Available! Your "Right Fit" Job: Guide to Finding Work You Love
Now available is my e-book Your "Right Fit" Job: Guide to Finding Work You Love.
The guide is like having me coach you through your job search process. You will follow the same step-by-step process I use with people who get the jobs they really want.
Your "Right Fit" Job is based on two main premises.
The first is that you can get work you really love to do. If you're already searching for work, you know that job search is a long and sometimes painful slog. I say that if you are already working hard, you might as well devote that energy to getting the best possible outcome.
That leads to the second premise: job search is essentially a marketing campaign, where you are the "product" and the specific kind of work is your "market." Successful marketers know their product and target market really well. Using Your "Right Fit" Job, you will get to know yourself extremely well, including your "core value proposition" - what you offer employers that is unique to you and very valuable to them. You also will know what kind of job or work you want - where and how you will do your best work and be happiest. Being very specific will help you find a job.
Then I will help you develop really effective marketing materials (resume, cover letter, 5-second intention statement aka "elevator speech")and a networking strategy to help you get interviews. The guide gives great advice on how to handle interviews, especially difficult questions. I also include suggestions for how to battle "job search fatigue."
I believe that when you do your "right fit" work, you will be happy at work. And when you're happy at work, you'll be happier in life. Use Your "Right Fit" Job: Guide to Finding Work You Love to direct your job search efforts most effectively and find the "right fit" for you.
To get your FREE copy of Your "Right Fit" Work, put your e-mail contact information in the comment section. It won't show up on the blog; I moderate comments so have to view it first. I promise not to publish it on this blog, but simply to use it to send you your copy of my e-book. I'll be offering it FREE until February 28, 2010 so make sure you get yours now.
The guide is like having me coach you through your job search process. You will follow the same step-by-step process I use with people who get the jobs they really want.
Your "Right Fit" Job is based on two main premises.
The first is that you can get work you really love to do. If you're already searching for work, you know that job search is a long and sometimes painful slog. I say that if you are already working hard, you might as well devote that energy to getting the best possible outcome.
That leads to the second premise: job search is essentially a marketing campaign, where you are the "product" and the specific kind of work is your "market." Successful marketers know their product and target market really well. Using Your "Right Fit" Job, you will get to know yourself extremely well, including your "core value proposition" - what you offer employers that is unique to you and very valuable to them. You also will know what kind of job or work you want - where and how you will do your best work and be happiest. Being very specific will help you find a job.
Then I will help you develop really effective marketing materials (resume, cover letter, 5-second intention statement aka "elevator speech")and a networking strategy to help you get interviews. The guide gives great advice on how to handle interviews, especially difficult questions. I also include suggestions for how to battle "job search fatigue."
I believe that when you do your "right fit" work, you will be happy at work. And when you're happy at work, you'll be happier in life. Use Your "Right Fit" Job: Guide to Finding Work You Love to direct your job search efforts most effectively and find the "right fit" for you.
To get your FREE copy of Your "Right Fit" Work, put your e-mail contact information in the comment section. It won't show up on the blog; I moderate comments so have to view it first. I promise not to publish it on this blog, but simply to use it to send you your copy of my e-book. I'll be offering it FREE until February 28, 2010 so make sure you get yours now.
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