Here's a problem I'd like to see more of: someone has been offered a job AND has an interview at another company next week. The question: should I take the job I was offered or try to go on the interview and see if that's a better fit for me?
Whatever you do, don't take the job offer AND go on the interview, just to see what's possible. I know some people do it, and sometimes it happens that you get two offers and have to make a decision. That's different, however, from accepting a job with the INTENTION of quitting if you get another offer. It's just not the right thing to do, to dump a perfectly good job and leave the employer high and dry and pretty pissed off. Talk about burning a bridge! And bad karma to boot. In this economy, it would be the equivalent of job suicide to do so.
In another economy, I might suggest trying to delay your decision until you have the interview, or asking if you can move up the interview. Two challenges with this: the employer who's offered you the job has TONS of other eager applicants just dying to take your spot IMMEDIATELY. And the other employer knows she holds all the cards and can find someone equally as good as you whenever they get around to doing interviews. This is called an "employer's market" for good reason.
In THIS economy, I think you'll have to make a decision between the job offer and the interview. It's really fantastic and a testament to your abilities and background that you have a job offer AND an HR person interested enough in you to consider you for another job.
My suggestion is to listen to your gut. So here are some questions to guide you:
* Can you stomach doing the job you were offered? Does it meet most of your "Must Have List?" I assume that you want it to some degree or you wouldn't have applied and gone through the process with such apparent enthusiasm that you were offered the job. If you can stomach doing the job, I'd go for it. As the saying goes, "a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush."
* How confident are you that you'd ace the interview for the possible job? In the situation I read about, the person already was turned down by that company. Though the HR manager liked the candidate, she is not making the final decision. In my book, that's too much of a wild card.
* Do you want to work for this company so much that you're willing to take the risk of turning down a "bird in the hand" in hopes that one of the "two in the shrubs" will land in your hand? Can you afford to not work? The job offer is precious, and the job will undoubtedly give you great experience, as well as a paycheck. Is it a perfect job? No. But no job is the perfect job. It's a matter of our priorities and whether a job meets 60-75% of our Must Have List. In addition, we have the power to make anything a fantastic learning experience (think "negative powers of example" as in "I'll NEVER do things that way when I'm the boss!").
As I said, however, it's up to you and your gut feeling. If you really can't stomach the job you were offered and will be desperately unhappy, then don't take it.
You can easily handle the situation so as not to burn any bridges. Simply call the HR person to say that you have great news for you and not-so-great news for her.
"I got a job offer and I've decided to accept it. It was a difficult decision because I am so interested in working for your company, and I thank you very much for believing that I could make a contribution to your company. If it's OK with you, I'd love to stay in touch and perhaps the time will be right at some point in the future for us to work together."
It's polite, keeps a door open, acknowledges her kindness to you, and shows that you are professional.
Good luck with your decision!
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Networking Tips from Carrie Wilkerson
Carrie Wilkerson, the Barefoot Executive, is a networking genius. In a video I recently watched, she made these KEY POINTS about how you can more effectively network:
When you meet someone, make a personal connection. Find out what they are interested in. Notice what they talk about, what excites them, what part of conversation they expand on or the topic that lights them up.
Shift your thinking to ask "what can I do for them?" instead of "what can I get them to do for me?" By starting with the other person's interests, issues, challenges or problems, you put yourself in the position of being of service to them. Generosity always is its own reward, and it also is such a powerful basis on which to develop a relationship. When I'm genuinely interested in people, I get such pleasure from our interaction. And what ends up happening is that the relationship begins to be reciprocal. I am always surprised by what people are willing to do for me when I do for them WITHOUT EXPECTATION OF RETURN.
Always take handwritten notes to remember people - in a notebook, write down everything you remember about the person: family information, interests they have, circumstances under which you met them, anything funny they said or something they said they liked or wanted, people you know in common, and anything that distinguishes them in your mind (facial features, hair, body type, colors they wore, eye color, you name it!)
Send follow-up (FU) notes with a personal touch. Mention that book they liked and recommend one similar to it. Say you hope their child's team won the game. Tell them you loved their site (even successful people need validation and compliments!). Let them know how much they helped you and what value you got from their meeting, such as a new thought, a new way of thinking about your path, or a reframing of the key issues facing an industry.
When you meet someone, make a personal connection. Find out what they are interested in. Notice what they talk about, what excites them, what part of conversation they expand on or the topic that lights them up.
Shift your thinking to ask "what can I do for them?" instead of "what can I get them to do for me?" By starting with the other person's interests, issues, challenges or problems, you put yourself in the position of being of service to them. Generosity always is its own reward, and it also is such a powerful basis on which to develop a relationship. When I'm genuinely interested in people, I get such pleasure from our interaction. And what ends up happening is that the relationship begins to be reciprocal. I am always surprised by what people are willing to do for me when I do for them WITHOUT EXPECTATION OF RETURN.
Always take handwritten notes to remember people - in a notebook, write down everything you remember about the person: family information, interests they have, circumstances under which you met them, anything funny they said or something they said they liked or wanted, people you know in common, and anything that distinguishes them in your mind (facial features, hair, body type, colors they wore, eye color, you name it!)
Send follow-up (FU) notes with a personal touch. Mention that book they liked and recommend one similar to it. Say you hope their child's team won the game. Tell them you loved their site (even successful people need validation and compliments!). Let them know how much they helped you and what value you got from their meeting, such as a new thought, a new way of thinking about your path, or a reframing of the key issues facing an industry.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Use Marketing Tools For Job Search
Having just returned from "The World's Greatest Marketing Seminar" I am full of ideas about how job seekers can better position themselves.
A key message from many speakers is that marketers are in the business of solving people's problems. People (and people run businesses and hire other people) are usually familiar with and able to articulate their problems/challenges/difficulties/obstacles and so will better identify with them. When someone appears to understand their challenges, people tend to hope that person can help them solve the problem. When the problem or challenge is stated clearly and with some emotion, people become hungry for a solution. For a marketer, this creates a willing customer. For a job seeker, this can engender willingness to consider one's candidacy for a position.
This afternoon, one of my clients (D.) and I came up with this 10 second answer to the question "What are you looking for?" Our focus is on the kind of challenge D. wants to work on. Then she presents herself as the solution to the problem. Here's what we drafted:
I want to solve space challenges for clients with big dreams and limited resources, and make their space reflect their brand image and strategic thinking.
In a very few words, D. has defined her area of interest and expertise (solve space problems) captured a problem (clients with big dreams and limited resources), and focused attention on the solution she offers (space will reflect brand image and strategic thinking). The word "solve" at the beginning offers hope of a solution to the problem she then describes (big dreams, few resources); the final part of her statement speaks again to her solution to the problem.
D. can either then say "Let me give you an example" or the listener can ask questions to invite her to tell them more about what she means - and she has plenty to say about that.
She is testing tonight at a networking event. I'll let you know what happens. In the meantime, I wanted you to know I'm thinking about you and ways to make your pitch that much more effective.
You can think about the problems or challenges you want to work on in your next job, the kind of solutions you would offer, and the employers who have this kind of problem. Start with what the employer faces, and then offer yourself as a solution. Remember, when a problem is fully articulated, it hurts, and when something hurts, people want a remedy. By showing that you "feel their pain," you make employers more interested in hearing how you would approach solving the problem and easing the pain.
A key message from many speakers is that marketers are in the business of solving people's problems. People (and people run businesses and hire other people) are usually familiar with and able to articulate their problems/challenges/difficulties/obstacles and so will better identify with them. When someone appears to understand their challenges, people tend to hope that person can help them solve the problem. When the problem or challenge is stated clearly and with some emotion, people become hungry for a solution. For a marketer, this creates a willing customer. For a job seeker, this can engender willingness to consider one's candidacy for a position.
This afternoon, one of my clients (D.) and I came up with this 10 second answer to the question "What are you looking for?" Our focus is on the kind of challenge D. wants to work on. Then she presents herself as the solution to the problem. Here's what we drafted:
I want to solve space challenges for clients with big dreams and limited resources, and make their space reflect their brand image and strategic thinking.
In a very few words, D. has defined her area of interest and expertise (solve space problems) captured a problem (clients with big dreams and limited resources), and focused attention on the solution she offers (space will reflect brand image and strategic thinking). The word "solve" at the beginning offers hope of a solution to the problem she then describes (big dreams, few resources); the final part of her statement speaks again to her solution to the problem.
D. can either then say "Let me give you an example" or the listener can ask questions to invite her to tell them more about what she means - and she has plenty to say about that.
She is testing tonight at a networking event. I'll let you know what happens. In the meantime, I wanted you to know I'm thinking about you and ways to make your pitch that much more effective.
You can think about the problems or challenges you want to work on in your next job, the kind of solutions you would offer, and the employers who have this kind of problem. Start with what the employer faces, and then offer yourself as a solution. Remember, when a problem is fully articulated, it hurts, and when something hurts, people want a remedy. By showing that you "feel their pain," you make employers more interested in hearing how you would approach solving the problem and easing the pain.
What if I Like and NEED the Job But Don't Like my Potential Boss?
This is a tough hypothetical question. I know you need a job and it sounds like you think you found one that is the "right fit" for you.
Let's assume you are offered the job. You can take it, and see it as an opportunity to learn one of the most challenging skills in work: to get along with people you don't necessarily like, to focus on work instead of personalities, and to adapt to challenging circumstances. Most of us have to work with people we don't love or even like very much.
For me, the goal was to figure out how to work well enough with them to get the job done.
* One strategy I used was looking for at least one positive thing about the person.
* Another was to "catch them doing something right" at least once a day.
* A third was to send them love and positive thoughts.
Amazingly, most of these people stopped annoying me within a week. Sometimes they changed their behavior - because nice behavior tends to be responded to with nice behavior. After all, "you catch more flies with honey." And mostly, I got into a new habit of focusing on their positive attributes rather than on how their less enjoyable aspects. I'm also reminded that "where my attention goes, energy flows." That means that if I focus my attention on something, then that's all I see.
If all I remembered was that Nora kept repeating her point and not listening to anyone else until she wears them down, that's all I saw and heard. And it was really annoying! I had to work to remember that Nora was a darn good manager with amazing integrity, and usually her points of view are valuable and correct. That put her annoying tenacity in perspective. It didn't make it go away, it simply minimized her flaws enough that I could continue to work with her.
The real question is: Would I CHOOSE to work for Nora? Not if I could help it. In my humble opinion, this is not a "right fit" job for you because your working relationship with you boss is so critical to your job happiness. And if you don't like your boss, my bet is your boss won't really like you. This sounds like it would be a termination waiting to happen.
My question to you is: Why would you think you could work effectively for someone you don't like? While it may be character-building, it is not fun to work for someone you may not like and it certainly does not lend itself to a lengthy job tenure. If you need the job and are offered it, it's OK to take it. I'd continue my job search, however, because there's a better than even chance you'll be so unhappy you'll want to leave soon.
Of course, the job offer is hypothetical. And I am sorry to say that in this particular job market, such an offer is highly unlikely to be made. Employers simply have too many candidates to choose from to choose someone who is not a good personality fit. My hunch is that your potential boss sensed your dislike or some potential conflict, unless you are an expert at hiding your feelings.
So don't count on being offered the job even if you have exactly the skills, experience, education and background they are seeking. Chemistry and culture fit are all-important now. You and they will spend hours and hours and hours together each week.
Remember though that every "no" does bring you one step closer to the "yes" you want, and it will be a "right fit" job for you if you are clear about what you want in a job. Good luck!
Let's assume you are offered the job. You can take it, and see it as an opportunity to learn one of the most challenging skills in work: to get along with people you don't necessarily like, to focus on work instead of personalities, and to adapt to challenging circumstances. Most of us have to work with people we don't love or even like very much.
For me, the goal was to figure out how to work well enough with them to get the job done.
* One strategy I used was looking for at least one positive thing about the person.
* Another was to "catch them doing something right" at least once a day.
* A third was to send them love and positive thoughts.
Amazingly, most of these people stopped annoying me within a week. Sometimes they changed their behavior - because nice behavior tends to be responded to with nice behavior. After all, "you catch more flies with honey." And mostly, I got into a new habit of focusing on their positive attributes rather than on how their less enjoyable aspects. I'm also reminded that "where my attention goes, energy flows." That means that if I focus my attention on something, then that's all I see.
If all I remembered was that Nora kept repeating her point and not listening to anyone else until she wears them down, that's all I saw and heard. And it was really annoying! I had to work to remember that Nora was a darn good manager with amazing integrity, and usually her points of view are valuable and correct. That put her annoying tenacity in perspective. It didn't make it go away, it simply minimized her flaws enough that I could continue to work with her.
The real question is: Would I CHOOSE to work for Nora? Not if I could help it. In my humble opinion, this is not a "right fit" job for you because your working relationship with you boss is so critical to your job happiness. And if you don't like your boss, my bet is your boss won't really like you. This sounds like it would be a termination waiting to happen.
My question to you is: Why would you think you could work effectively for someone you don't like? While it may be character-building, it is not fun to work for someone you may not like and it certainly does not lend itself to a lengthy job tenure. If you need the job and are offered it, it's OK to take it. I'd continue my job search, however, because there's a better than even chance you'll be so unhappy you'll want to leave soon.
Of course, the job offer is hypothetical. And I am sorry to say that in this particular job market, such an offer is highly unlikely to be made. Employers simply have too many candidates to choose from to choose someone who is not a good personality fit. My hunch is that your potential boss sensed your dislike or some potential conflict, unless you are an expert at hiding your feelings.
So don't count on being offered the job even if you have exactly the skills, experience, education and background they are seeking. Chemistry and culture fit are all-important now. You and they will spend hours and hours and hours together each week.
Remember though that every "no" does bring you one step closer to the "yes" you want, and it will be a "right fit" job for you if you are clear about what you want in a job. Good luck!
Saturday, September 12, 2009
You CAN Find Your "Right Fit" Job
Yes, I am convinced that you can and will find and get the job that's right for you - that is less like work and more like fun, that makes you want to get up in the morning and get to work because you are so motivated by what you do, what impact it has, the people you work with, and the purpose of it all.
I'm convinced of this because I know so many people who now are doing work they love - including me. You are no different from them.
You may be looking for a job right now and think you have to settle for just anything. I disagree completely.
It will take the same energy to find just any job as it will to find your "right fit" job - so why not aim for something that will make you happy?
Here's how to start.
You know what you love to do for work and to make a living. There are things you enjoy so much you either already do them for free or as a hobby, or would do them for free if you could. There are skills you take great pride in using, and accomplishments that gave you the feeling of being on top of the world.
Of course, you also know those jobs or tasks you would like never to do again, as well as those skills you really can't stand using anymore - even if they were hard won. And there are things that bore you now because you've done them too many times.
Take a sheet of paper. Pick up a pen you like to write with. On one side of the paper, write all the things you never want to do again. Flip the paper over. On this side, write all the things you love to do - at work, at home, at play.
Compare the things you like to do at work and at home and at play. See if there are any commonalities. For example, I know a woman who loves to give dinner parties, complete with customized menus and decor. She hates being a lawyer, because it's boring. However, she does like lawyer pay. She now works with nice people, instead of at the corporate firm where it was incredibly competitive and elitist. The firm is small which she likes, and her dinner parties are usually small. What she misses at her current employer is working on projects from beginning to end. Her dinner parties are projects, and she designs them from beginning to end.
From this and other information, she realized she was drawn to the design field, and that she really likes working in a cooperative environment with a relatively small group. She likes to work on projects and is comfortable working on her own with a minimum of supervision.
Now she's taking classes to learn more about design and what specific field she might enter. From informational interviews, she's realized she doesn't want to be a residential interior designer because they make too little money. And she's redoubled her efforts to keep her current job because it provides a pretty comfortable spot from which she can plan her career path. At the same time, she's looking for legal jobs in the design field so she can get closer to the industry and learn more. We're targeting smaller firms of high-end goods, mainly homewares. Her resume features information and accomplishments to market her to this new industry. She also has a model cover letter explaining the transferrability of her skills and her passion for design, as well as rehearsed answers to difficult interview questions.
This is just a simple example of how to use information about your life to figure out what you want to do. It's not the whole story, just a taste of the process I use to help people discover what they love to do and then create the marketing materials necessary to get that "right fit" job.
I'm convinced of this because I know so many people who now are doing work they love - including me. You are no different from them.
You may be looking for a job right now and think you have to settle for just anything. I disagree completely.
It will take the same energy to find just any job as it will to find your "right fit" job - so why not aim for something that will make you happy?
Here's how to start.
You know what you love to do for work and to make a living. There are things you enjoy so much you either already do them for free or as a hobby, or would do them for free if you could. There are skills you take great pride in using, and accomplishments that gave you the feeling of being on top of the world.
Of course, you also know those jobs or tasks you would like never to do again, as well as those skills you really can't stand using anymore - even if they were hard won. And there are things that bore you now because you've done them too many times.
Take a sheet of paper. Pick up a pen you like to write with. On one side of the paper, write all the things you never want to do again. Flip the paper over. On this side, write all the things you love to do - at work, at home, at play.
Compare the things you like to do at work and at home and at play. See if there are any commonalities. For example, I know a woman who loves to give dinner parties, complete with customized menus and decor. She hates being a lawyer, because it's boring. However, she does like lawyer pay. She now works with nice people, instead of at the corporate firm where it was incredibly competitive and elitist. The firm is small which she likes, and her dinner parties are usually small. What she misses at her current employer is working on projects from beginning to end. Her dinner parties are projects, and she designs them from beginning to end.
From this and other information, she realized she was drawn to the design field, and that she really likes working in a cooperative environment with a relatively small group. She likes to work on projects and is comfortable working on her own with a minimum of supervision.
Now she's taking classes to learn more about design and what specific field she might enter. From informational interviews, she's realized she doesn't want to be a residential interior designer because they make too little money. And she's redoubled her efforts to keep her current job because it provides a pretty comfortable spot from which she can plan her career path. At the same time, she's looking for legal jobs in the design field so she can get closer to the industry and learn more. We're targeting smaller firms of high-end goods, mainly homewares. Her resume features information and accomplishments to market her to this new industry. She also has a model cover letter explaining the transferrability of her skills and her passion for design, as well as rehearsed answers to difficult interview questions.
This is just a simple example of how to use information about your life to figure out what you want to do. It's not the whole story, just a taste of the process I use to help people discover what they love to do and then create the marketing materials necessary to get that "right fit" job.
Monday, September 7, 2009
Should I Quit a Job I Hate to Find One I Love?
I received this comment and question the other day from a woman who is very unhappy with her current job and wants to know what she should do.
Dear Julie,
I have been working in management consulting industry for 5 years now and have been unhappy in it more less since I started. I decided to take a job in this direction precisely because I wasn't sure what my best job would be and expected the consulting industry to provide me with many different project experiences which should bring me closer to the perfect job. The experience ended up revolving around similar clients and business areas and in terms of finding my perfect job - I am just where I started. The fact that I am not at all passionate about what I do is starting to make me unhappy and depressed and I am starting to take that out on my boyfriend and friends. I would like to change something but how do I find the job that is right for me? I am scared to take the step of finally leaving the current job to be able to focus on doing some searching. And I do not know where to start...
Your advice would be much appreciated.. Thank you.
Lina
Lina, my first suggestion is to keep your current job. There is plenty of work you can do right now that will lead you toward the right job for you. If you've read much of my blog, you know that I advocate getting to know yourself FIRST.
Getting to know yourself can be done outside of work hours. You have plenty of material to work with: your current job, your college and high school experiences, any part-time work you've had, your hobbies, the books you read, the news stories to which you are drawn, the magazines you read.
The fact that you are taking steps toward a "right fit" job may do one or both of two things: give you hope and make the current job tolerable, and/or make you even more sick of the work you currently do. Both reactions are normal. Becoming more frustrated with your current job simply means you're stirring things up, and reaffirming what you DON'T like.
Knowing what we don't like is the first part of the work. The second part is starting to know what we DO like to do. That's the point of getting to know yourself. And often, that is far more difficult to identify.
To help you identify what you love to do, what you would love to do again, and in what kind of environment and workplace, I've put together a workbook based on this blog and real-life experience with people seeking their right fit. If you leave me your e-mail address, I'll send it to you and you can go through the various questionnaires.
The purpose is to come up with two things: your Must Have List for what will allow you to happily do your best work; and your Core Value Proposition, what you specifically and distinctly have to offer an employer or client. From those two things, you can craft the marketing materials you need to convey your value to employers and land your "right fit" job - specifically your resume, cover letters, and interview information. You will answer questions and ask questions at interviews, because you are not desperate - you are looking for the "right fit" for you, just as the employer is looking for a "right fit" for their position.
It's important to be honest with ourselves, and accept who we are. There's a lot of "shoulds" surrounding work - I "should" do what my parents want me to do or I "should" like this work because other people do. If you can, stop "shoulding" on yourself and instead look clearly at what "is" rather than what is "supposed to be."
Other factors can and do complicate searches for "right fit" work. Perhaps you are attached to the money you make or the prestige of the position you now hold. It's all OK right now. These are all factors that will go into your decision-making process.
There is no one right way or right time frame to get to your "right fit" job. Some people take a few months, others take a few years, and others take some time in-between. I've seen people find their "right fit" job the moment they identify what they want to do, and seen other people get a job that's a step or two closer to their dream work.
One woman has taken 18 months to identify the general field she wants to pursue and narrow it down from design to "not interior design." Now a lawyer working in financial services, she realized she needed to learn about the design field. So she's taking classes and gaining skills and experience - all of which are helping her see what direction she wants to pursue in the design field. I call this a "dual path" where she has kept her "day job" and is pursuing her dreams at night and on weekends.
I strongly advocate finding a buddy or coach who can help you get to know yourself, help you interpret the information you'll be gathering about yourself. It usually is not your significant other nor a family member. They are too invested in you being OK to really be helpful and objective. And usually we are too impatient with ourselves and too afraid to respond well to their prodding and questioning.
The fact that you are asking the question means you are already on the path to finding your right fit work. I hope this blog and my response can help you achieve your goal! Please let me know how else I can help.
Dear Julie,
I have been working in management consulting industry for 5 years now and have been unhappy in it more less since I started. I decided to take a job in this direction precisely because I wasn't sure what my best job would be and expected the consulting industry to provide me with many different project experiences which should bring me closer to the perfect job. The experience ended up revolving around similar clients and business areas and in terms of finding my perfect job - I am just where I started. The fact that I am not at all passionate about what I do is starting to make me unhappy and depressed and I am starting to take that out on my boyfriend and friends. I would like to change something but how do I find the job that is right for me? I am scared to take the step of finally leaving the current job to be able to focus on doing some searching. And I do not know where to start...
Your advice would be much appreciated.. Thank you.
Lina
Lina, my first suggestion is to keep your current job. There is plenty of work you can do right now that will lead you toward the right job for you. If you've read much of my blog, you know that I advocate getting to know yourself FIRST.
Getting to know yourself can be done outside of work hours. You have plenty of material to work with: your current job, your college and high school experiences, any part-time work you've had, your hobbies, the books you read, the news stories to which you are drawn, the magazines you read.
The fact that you are taking steps toward a "right fit" job may do one or both of two things: give you hope and make the current job tolerable, and/or make you even more sick of the work you currently do. Both reactions are normal. Becoming more frustrated with your current job simply means you're stirring things up, and reaffirming what you DON'T like.
Knowing what we don't like is the first part of the work. The second part is starting to know what we DO like to do. That's the point of getting to know yourself. And often, that is far more difficult to identify.
To help you identify what you love to do, what you would love to do again, and in what kind of environment and workplace, I've put together a workbook based on this blog and real-life experience with people seeking their right fit. If you leave me your e-mail address, I'll send it to you and you can go through the various questionnaires.
The purpose is to come up with two things: your Must Have List for what will allow you to happily do your best work; and your Core Value Proposition, what you specifically and distinctly have to offer an employer or client. From those two things, you can craft the marketing materials you need to convey your value to employers and land your "right fit" job - specifically your resume, cover letters, and interview information. You will answer questions and ask questions at interviews, because you are not desperate - you are looking for the "right fit" for you, just as the employer is looking for a "right fit" for their position.
It's important to be honest with ourselves, and accept who we are. There's a lot of "shoulds" surrounding work - I "should" do what my parents want me to do or I "should" like this work because other people do. If you can, stop "shoulding" on yourself and instead look clearly at what "is" rather than what is "supposed to be."
Other factors can and do complicate searches for "right fit" work. Perhaps you are attached to the money you make or the prestige of the position you now hold. It's all OK right now. These are all factors that will go into your decision-making process.
There is no one right way or right time frame to get to your "right fit" job. Some people take a few months, others take a few years, and others take some time in-between. I've seen people find their "right fit" job the moment they identify what they want to do, and seen other people get a job that's a step or two closer to their dream work.
One woman has taken 18 months to identify the general field she wants to pursue and narrow it down from design to "not interior design." Now a lawyer working in financial services, she realized she needed to learn about the design field. So she's taking classes and gaining skills and experience - all of which are helping her see what direction she wants to pursue in the design field. I call this a "dual path" where she has kept her "day job" and is pursuing her dreams at night and on weekends.
I strongly advocate finding a buddy or coach who can help you get to know yourself, help you interpret the information you'll be gathering about yourself. It usually is not your significant other nor a family member. They are too invested in you being OK to really be helpful and objective. And usually we are too impatient with ourselves and too afraid to respond well to their prodding and questioning.
The fact that you are asking the question means you are already on the path to finding your right fit work. I hope this blog and my response can help you achieve your goal! Please let me know how else I can help.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Research, Marketing, Conversation: the Job Search Process
A successful job search process is a combination of research, marketing, and conversation.
RESEARCH: Research yourself and research the employers for which you want to work.
1. Get to know yourself
* What are your strengths and capabilities, the things you really like to do and have fun doing?
* What you want to do again? Sometimes we're good at doing things but never want to do them again. What do you never want to do again?
* Look back at your accomplishments. What are you proud of doing? How did you do those things? What kind of skills did they require?
* What do you do for fun? Do you have hobbies? What activities cause you to smile for no reason? When does time fly for you?
* In what environments do you thrive? What culture is best for you?
* What motivates you? For who or what are you willing to work hard? What have you committed to for a long period of time because it's important to you?
Use this information to develop a Must Have List (see my posts on creating your Must Have List).
2. Get to know the employers in your chosen industry and occupation.
* Which employers are engaged in the kind of work you are interested in doing?
* What companies are growing? This means they will be hiring now or in the near future.
* Which organizations have the kind of culture you would thrive in?
How do you find this information? Read industry publications in print and on-line. Do searches on the key terms used in the occupation and industry (e.g. Marketing Director, Telecommunications).
Much information is available through people who work in the industry, through company websites, and by doing a search on various companies via Google. You can find people who know people in the company through LinkedIn and Plaxo, on Twitter and possibly on Facebook. Informational interviews are generally easy for people to agree to; it's a great way to learn about general industry and/or occupational trends. You'll also learn about the culture of the organization by talking in-depth to someone who works at that company.
MARKETING: Look for your "right fit" jobs
1. Build a resume to market your core value proposition to prospective employers. Your resume needs to highlight your potential value to an employer, demonstrating your abilities through your accomplishments and impact on your past employers. Only include those accomplishments and responsibilities that you want to repeat. We all have parts of our jobs we don't love; it comes with the territory. However, we don't have to ask to do them by listing them in our resume. And you do get what you ask for, in my experience.
2. Match yourself to the most appropriate job opportunities. Find jobs that match your Must Have List.
* Take a job description and highlight all the things you like/love in one color, all the things you are OK with in a second color, all the things you don't like in another, and all the things you need to learn in a fourth color. If most of the job description is in the first color, it's potentially a job for you. If not, keep looking, or be aware when you apply that you may not get an interview.
* Search on job boards to see what's out there, which of your target companies are hiring and might have other jobs coming up. Identify the key words that are common in jobs to which you are drawn. Use those key words in your resume.
* Go to the websites of your target companies.
3. Create a really powerful intention statement. This will say very specifically what job you want, what skills you want to use, what impact you want to have, in what industry and what kind of company.
This is your "pitch" or "elevator speech." It's what you say to people when they ask "and what kind of job are you looking for." It's what you write in an e-mail asking someone for their advice and guidance in your job search process.
Don't worry about being too specific or narrow. Worry about being too broad. Broad intentions don't allow people to help you. Specificity helps you get the exact contacts and opportunities you want, and then to land the job in which you will thrive. We find the right size clothes when we accept our body for what it is. Similarly, we find the "right fit" work when we accept ourselves for who we are.
4. Write "marketing" cover letters. These match your abilities and skills to the specific responsibilities and qualifications cited in the job posting. This is your chance to show how your past makes you highly capable of helping the company meet its goals. They have their own "What's In It For Me" interest. Your job is to tell them what you will deliver and do for them when you are hired. So read about the company's mission statement, its press clips, its services, its most recent developments. Use language similar to that in the job posting and on the company's website; it shows you "speak their language."
More important than meeting basic qualifications is whether you are a cultural fit for a company. Recommendations from current employees count for a lot in any search process, because company leaders realize that an employee will tend to recommend people who are a good cultural fit already. Your job is to show in the cover letter that you understand the organization's culture as well as the specific job requirements. Tell them why you think it would be an honor to work for them. Use flattery, and show enthusiasm for the company. Companies want someone who wants to work for THEM, not someone who just wants a job.
CONVERSATION: Look for "conversational chemistry"
When a company posts a job, it is beginning a conversation with prospective employees. Your cover letter and resume are your response, essentially you picking up the conversation. You are saying "I'm interested in a conversation with you about this." If the company or recruiter sees something they like in your materials and/or if they receive recommendations for you from people they respect, they'll contact you to continue the conversation through an interview. This takes the conversation from "small talk" to a deeper level.
I find that people feel more comfortable about an interview if they think about it as a conversation. In this conversation, the employer wants to know if you are the "right fit" and so they ask lots of questions to ascertain that. You get to ask your own questions. You can relax a little bit because you are trying to find out whether this is in fact the "right fit" for you.
If the conversation goes well, you'll probably go to the next stage. It's not guaranteed, however, because the employer is talking to several other people at the same time. You may not be the best fit. If that's the case, be happy because you probably wouldn't have been happy at that employer. Remember, they already know you meet the basic qualifications. Now they are looking mainly for a culture fit. If they don't believe there is a culture fit, they are right. And if you don't have some skill or ability they decide is very important, you would have begun the job at a deficit - not a recipe for success.
Getting another interview is a chance to have a more in-depth conversation. If it is the "right fit" job, then you and the employer will want to formally agree to continue your conversation and engagement with each other through a job offer and acceptance. Here's hoping for that kind of conversational chemistry!
RESEARCH: Research yourself and research the employers for which you want to work.
1. Get to know yourself
* What are your strengths and capabilities, the things you really like to do and have fun doing?
* What you want to do again? Sometimes we're good at doing things but never want to do them again. What do you never want to do again?
* Look back at your accomplishments. What are you proud of doing? How did you do those things? What kind of skills did they require?
* What do you do for fun? Do you have hobbies? What activities cause you to smile for no reason? When does time fly for you?
* In what environments do you thrive? What culture is best for you?
* What motivates you? For who or what are you willing to work hard? What have you committed to for a long period of time because it's important to you?
Use this information to develop a Must Have List (see my posts on creating your Must Have List).
2. Get to know the employers in your chosen industry and occupation.
* Which employers are engaged in the kind of work you are interested in doing?
* What companies are growing? This means they will be hiring now or in the near future.
* Which organizations have the kind of culture you would thrive in?
How do you find this information? Read industry publications in print and on-line. Do searches on the key terms used in the occupation and industry (e.g. Marketing Director, Telecommunications).
Much information is available through people who work in the industry, through company websites, and by doing a search on various companies via Google. You can find people who know people in the company through LinkedIn and Plaxo, on Twitter and possibly on Facebook. Informational interviews are generally easy for people to agree to; it's a great way to learn about general industry and/or occupational trends. You'll also learn about the culture of the organization by talking in-depth to someone who works at that company.
MARKETING: Look for your "right fit" jobs
1. Build a resume to market your core value proposition to prospective employers. Your resume needs to highlight your potential value to an employer, demonstrating your abilities through your accomplishments and impact on your past employers. Only include those accomplishments and responsibilities that you want to repeat. We all have parts of our jobs we don't love; it comes with the territory. However, we don't have to ask to do them by listing them in our resume. And you do get what you ask for, in my experience.
2. Match yourself to the most appropriate job opportunities. Find jobs that match your Must Have List.
* Take a job description and highlight all the things you like/love in one color, all the things you are OK with in a second color, all the things you don't like in another, and all the things you need to learn in a fourth color. If most of the job description is in the first color, it's potentially a job for you. If not, keep looking, or be aware when you apply that you may not get an interview.
* Search on job boards to see what's out there, which of your target companies are hiring and might have other jobs coming up. Identify the key words that are common in jobs to which you are drawn. Use those key words in your resume.
* Go to the websites of your target companies.
3. Create a really powerful intention statement. This will say very specifically what job you want, what skills you want to use, what impact you want to have, in what industry and what kind of company.
This is your "pitch" or "elevator speech." It's what you say to people when they ask "and what kind of job are you looking for." It's what you write in an e-mail asking someone for their advice and guidance in your job search process.
Don't worry about being too specific or narrow. Worry about being too broad. Broad intentions don't allow people to help you. Specificity helps you get the exact contacts and opportunities you want, and then to land the job in which you will thrive. We find the right size clothes when we accept our body for what it is. Similarly, we find the "right fit" work when we accept ourselves for who we are.
4. Write "marketing" cover letters. These match your abilities and skills to the specific responsibilities and qualifications cited in the job posting. This is your chance to show how your past makes you highly capable of helping the company meet its goals. They have their own "What's In It For Me" interest. Your job is to tell them what you will deliver and do for them when you are hired. So read about the company's mission statement, its press clips, its services, its most recent developments. Use language similar to that in the job posting and on the company's website; it shows you "speak their language."
More important than meeting basic qualifications is whether you are a cultural fit for a company. Recommendations from current employees count for a lot in any search process, because company leaders realize that an employee will tend to recommend people who are a good cultural fit already. Your job is to show in the cover letter that you understand the organization's culture as well as the specific job requirements. Tell them why you think it would be an honor to work for them. Use flattery, and show enthusiasm for the company. Companies want someone who wants to work for THEM, not someone who just wants a job.
CONVERSATION: Look for "conversational chemistry"
When a company posts a job, it is beginning a conversation with prospective employees. Your cover letter and resume are your response, essentially you picking up the conversation. You are saying "I'm interested in a conversation with you about this." If the company or recruiter sees something they like in your materials and/or if they receive recommendations for you from people they respect, they'll contact you to continue the conversation through an interview. This takes the conversation from "small talk" to a deeper level.
I find that people feel more comfortable about an interview if they think about it as a conversation. In this conversation, the employer wants to know if you are the "right fit" and so they ask lots of questions to ascertain that. You get to ask your own questions. You can relax a little bit because you are trying to find out whether this is in fact the "right fit" for you.
If the conversation goes well, you'll probably go to the next stage. It's not guaranteed, however, because the employer is talking to several other people at the same time. You may not be the best fit. If that's the case, be happy because you probably wouldn't have been happy at that employer. Remember, they already know you meet the basic qualifications. Now they are looking mainly for a culture fit. If they don't believe there is a culture fit, they are right. And if you don't have some skill or ability they decide is very important, you would have begun the job at a deficit - not a recipe for success.
Getting another interview is a chance to have a more in-depth conversation. If it is the "right fit" job, then you and the employer will want to formally agree to continue your conversation and engagement with each other through a job offer and acceptance. Here's hoping for that kind of conversational chemistry!
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Improving Your Resume
I received this e-mail from a woman who is revising her resume. I'd sent her some suggestions, including putting a list of CORE CAPABILITIES under her PROFILE. In response, she said "I have included below the top section of a friend's resume. Let me know what you think. I am thinking that it may be distracting to have a multitude of expertise items."
My first response was "I don't like it." Keep reading to find out why.
FUNCTIONAL EXPERTISE:
● Global Assignments ● Project Management ● Strategy Development
SUMMARY
Creative and progressive executive with globally-focused expertise acquired in world-class professional services organization. Broad general management experience with proven track record for coordinating high-level operational, strategic, and administrative assignments. Has reported directly to the Global CEO, operating at the most senior levels of organizations interacting with key decision makers and successfully liaising with matrixed teams.
Well developed project management experience, strong analytical skills, and creative problem-solving capabilities, with reputation for getting things done. Superior communicator with excellent interpersonal skills, a team player, high personal integrity, and a solid record for handling complex cultural issues with diplomacy. Legal and business degrees, fluent in English & French with work experience in Canada, France and the US. Selected accomplishments:
* Co-founder of two major global industry practices
* Key player of Global Benchmark Survey that included and assisted 1000 manufacturers in 25+ countries
* Impacting over 100 countries, identified and promoted 130+ recommendations to achieve cross-border operational and logistical improvements
* Developed 3-year business planning process for the North American Region (12 countries)
* Lead person in development and roll-out of 3-year global strategy for world-wide organization
Here is my response:
Re your friend's resume, it's a very corporate style that I don't see very often in the non-profit field. It could be appealing to people who have a very corporate background or who are looking for a corporate type person.
In the CORE CAPABILITIES section, I think that three columns with no more than 3 items is the maximum people can handle reading. Make your own list and then ask two or three trusted people to tell you the skills that jump out at them from your resume. You can then choose what skills you want to highlight. They should be skills you love using and want to use again, and that support your achieving your intention for work.
Many of the points made in your friend's upfront summary can and should be made in a cover letter. I guess my bias is to letting the reader get to the meat of the resume very quickly, which is where you worked in what capacity and for how long. Too long a summary can be frustrating.
Because of this, I don't usually like a core capabilities list. It works really well in some industries, such as IT, because they are looking for such a list of buzz words and care less about where/how long you worked. Most recruiters, however, are looking for substance pretty quickly. They'd rather see an accomplishment in the context of a specific position.
Finally, we can and have and will continue to improve your resume. However, I'm not entirely sure fixing the resume is the entire answer. More important is you becoming more specific about the kind of work you want to do and in what context. Your resume can then be tailored to help you get that kind of work.
My first response was "I don't like it." Keep reading to find out why.
FUNCTIONAL EXPERTISE:
● Global Assignments ● Project Management ● Strategy Development
SUMMARY
Creative and progressive executive with globally-focused expertise acquired in world-class professional services organization. Broad general management experience with proven track record for coordinating high-level operational, strategic, and administrative assignments. Has reported directly to the Global CEO, operating at the most senior levels of organizations interacting with key decision makers and successfully liaising with matrixed teams.
Well developed project management experience, strong analytical skills, and creative problem-solving capabilities, with reputation for getting things done. Superior communicator with excellent interpersonal skills, a team player, high personal integrity, and a solid record for handling complex cultural issues with diplomacy. Legal and business degrees, fluent in English & French with work experience in Canada, France and the US. Selected accomplishments:
* Co-founder of two major global industry practices
* Key player of Global Benchmark Survey that included and assisted 1000 manufacturers in 25+ countries
* Impacting over 100 countries, identified and promoted 130+ recommendations to achieve cross-border operational and logistical improvements
* Developed 3-year business planning process for the North American Region (12 countries)
* Lead person in development and roll-out of 3-year global strategy for world-wide organization
Here is my response:
Re your friend's resume, it's a very corporate style that I don't see very often in the non-profit field. It could be appealing to people who have a very corporate background or who are looking for a corporate type person.
In the CORE CAPABILITIES section, I think that three columns with no more than 3 items is the maximum people can handle reading. Make your own list and then ask two or three trusted people to tell you the skills that jump out at them from your resume. You can then choose what skills you want to highlight. They should be skills you love using and want to use again, and that support your achieving your intention for work.
Many of the points made in your friend's upfront summary can and should be made in a cover letter. I guess my bias is to letting the reader get to the meat of the resume very quickly, which is where you worked in what capacity and for how long. Too long a summary can be frustrating.
Because of this, I don't usually like a core capabilities list. It works really well in some industries, such as IT, because they are looking for such a list of buzz words and care less about where/how long you worked. Most recruiters, however, are looking for substance pretty quickly. They'd rather see an accomplishment in the context of a specific position.
Finally, we can and have and will continue to improve your resume. However, I'm not entirely sure fixing the resume is the entire answer. More important is you becoming more specific about the kind of work you want to do and in what context. Your resume can then be tailored to help you get that kind of work.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Working with Chronic Illness
I just read a great post about someone who has medical issues and also wants to work for pay Almost 50 and Minimal Work Experience. JT & Dale give excellent suggestions including a referral to Rosalind Joffe, a career coach who specializes in helping people with chronic illnesses (cicoach.com).
As someone who’s also dealt with chronic illness, I have to add my two cents worth.
It is essential that you be honest with yourself about how much you can work and what kind of work is best suited to maintaining your optimal health. Perhaps that means part-time work and/or working from home one or two days a week. Maybe it means asking for non-traditional hours so you are commuting during a less crowded time.
Your job needs to enhance, not detract from, your health and life. If you tire yourself out by taking on more than you can handle over the long term, you could be out for long periods of time. That is counter to your goal of success. In addition to causing resentment among your colleagues, prolonged absences probably will result in you being "restructured out of a job" before too long.
You want to succeed. Therefore, lay the groundwork for success. Set appropriate expectations right from the start by being honest with yourself, your potential bosses, and later, your co-workers.
I know from personal experience that most people appreciate such honesty and are then able to pretty quickly appreciate the value you do bring to the team. What they don’t like is feeling misled and then having to adjust their expectations downward. And I don’t like disappointing myself by taking on so much that I can’t deliver on my promises. It makes more sense for me to have modest goals and then exceed them once in a while.
You know your body and its limits better than anyone else. You know what 100% is for you. And you also know what you need to do to do your 100% best. The biggest temptation I've had is trying to perform at someone else's 100%. That is a recipe for disaster, however. Success happens when I operate at my 100% and do what I need to ensure that I can sustain that 100% performance over time.
As someone who’s also dealt with chronic illness, I have to add my two cents worth.
It is essential that you be honest with yourself about how much you can work and what kind of work is best suited to maintaining your optimal health. Perhaps that means part-time work and/or working from home one or two days a week. Maybe it means asking for non-traditional hours so you are commuting during a less crowded time.
Your job needs to enhance, not detract from, your health and life. If you tire yourself out by taking on more than you can handle over the long term, you could be out for long periods of time. That is counter to your goal of success. In addition to causing resentment among your colleagues, prolonged absences probably will result in you being "restructured out of a job" before too long.
You want to succeed. Therefore, lay the groundwork for success. Set appropriate expectations right from the start by being honest with yourself, your potential bosses, and later, your co-workers.
I know from personal experience that most people appreciate such honesty and are then able to pretty quickly appreciate the value you do bring to the team. What they don’t like is feeling misled and then having to adjust their expectations downward. And I don’t like disappointing myself by taking on so much that I can’t deliver on my promises. It makes more sense for me to have modest goals and then exceed them once in a while.
You know your body and its limits better than anyone else. You know what 100% is for you. And you also know what you need to do to do your 100% best. The biggest temptation I've had is trying to perform at someone else's 100%. That is a recipe for disaster, however. Success happens when I operate at my 100% and do what I need to ensure that I can sustain that 100% performance over time.
Get a job, any job??
Yes, you need to pay the bills. In that sense, any job is a good job.
My experience is, however, that the more targeted you are in terms of the kind of job you want, the more likely you are to get it. I have seen people desperate for a job finally get one when they decided exactly what they want to do. It may seem counterintuitive, but here's the cycle I've witnessed time and again:
* You decide what's really in your heart and soul to do for work - most specifically, the skills and talents and abilities you most want to use again. Doing your "must have" list for a job will give you the chance to be really specific; a guide for creating your Must Have List is on my blog following this post.
* You formulate a concise "intention" statement that clearly communicates what you want to do, and you can easily say it to people without any "ums" or uncertainty. It's your 30-second "elevator speech." You can write it in e-mails to people, who then see exactly what you want to do.
* You start talking to people about your intention. The specificity helps people think of CONCRETE possibilities. They hear your sincerity and passion, and it is contagious. They think of people who are connected in the industry. You talk to everyone about what you want to do because who knows? Your dry cleaner may know someone who knows someone.
* You indicate that you are open to doing pro bono or volunteer work. You take on some volunteer work, simply because it keeps you involved in practicing your craft. This goes on your resume, keeping it current. It also puts you in the world of work, raising your spirits and giving you something to talk about with others. You also are now able to network naturally, in the course of doing your volunteer work.
* You update your LinkedIn profile to add the pro bono work, so your network gets an update and you may come to someone's attention who knows someone who knows someone.
* Maybe you also create a brochure advertising your services as a consultant. Every time I've helped create consulting brochures, they get job interviews and in two cases, jobs, within a few weeks. I think it's because they've gotten very specific about the kind of work they are willing to do as a consultant, what kind of value they will add as a consultant, and the kind of clients they want to work for.
The point is that you are IN ACTION, committed fully to getting exactly what you want. Maybe it's the "power of intention" or the Law of Attraction or simply you are energized enough by your decision that things start to fall into place.
* You see a job posting, write a compelling cover letter - because it has passion and intention behind it - and get the interview.
* You meet someone for an informational interview and s/he offers to introduce you to someone higher up in their company or key at another company, or offers you some freelance work as a try-out.
* Someone tells you about the perfect job, you go in and nail the interview because you are passionate about using your skills and adding value to the employer - helping them reach their goals.
In sum, while I support you getting work to pay the bills, you'll probably have to do almost the same amount of work to get anything as you will to get something targeted.
I recommend doing the small additional bit of work to target your search, get your energy up and your momentum going. All your efforts will be toward a specific goal which has to be more effective than spreading them out across a huge spectrum of possible jobs.
If I travel somewhere, I use a map. The same principle applies to job search. Know where you want to go and it will be infinitely easier to get there.
My experience is, however, that the more targeted you are in terms of the kind of job you want, the more likely you are to get it. I have seen people desperate for a job finally get one when they decided exactly what they want to do. It may seem counterintuitive, but here's the cycle I've witnessed time and again:
* You decide what's really in your heart and soul to do for work - most specifically, the skills and talents and abilities you most want to use again. Doing your "must have" list for a job will give you the chance to be really specific; a guide for creating your Must Have List is on my blog following this post.
* You formulate a concise "intention" statement that clearly communicates what you want to do, and you can easily say it to people without any "ums" or uncertainty. It's your 30-second "elevator speech." You can write it in e-mails to people, who then see exactly what you want to do.
* You start talking to people about your intention. The specificity helps people think of CONCRETE possibilities. They hear your sincerity and passion, and it is contagious. They think of people who are connected in the industry. You talk to everyone about what you want to do because who knows? Your dry cleaner may know someone who knows someone.
* You indicate that you are open to doing pro bono or volunteer work. You take on some volunteer work, simply because it keeps you involved in practicing your craft. This goes on your resume, keeping it current. It also puts you in the world of work, raising your spirits and giving you something to talk about with others. You also are now able to network naturally, in the course of doing your volunteer work.
* You update your LinkedIn profile to add the pro bono work, so your network gets an update and you may come to someone's attention who knows someone who knows someone.
* Maybe you also create a brochure advertising your services as a consultant. Every time I've helped create consulting brochures, they get job interviews and in two cases, jobs, within a few weeks. I think it's because they've gotten very specific about the kind of work they are willing to do as a consultant, what kind of value they will add as a consultant, and the kind of clients they want to work for.
The point is that you are IN ACTION, committed fully to getting exactly what you want. Maybe it's the "power of intention" or the Law of Attraction or simply you are energized enough by your decision that things start to fall into place.
* You see a job posting, write a compelling cover letter - because it has passion and intention behind it - and get the interview.
* You meet someone for an informational interview and s/he offers to introduce you to someone higher up in their company or key at another company, or offers you some freelance work as a try-out.
* Someone tells you about the perfect job, you go in and nail the interview because you are passionate about using your skills and adding value to the employer - helping them reach their goals.
In sum, while I support you getting work to pay the bills, you'll probably have to do almost the same amount of work to get anything as you will to get something targeted.
I recommend doing the small additional bit of work to target your search, get your energy up and your momentum going. All your efforts will be toward a specific goal which has to be more effective than spreading them out across a huge spectrum of possible jobs.
If I travel somewhere, I use a map. The same principle applies to job search. Know where you want to go and it will be infinitely easier to get there.
Your Must Have List
This is a list of 5-6 aspects of a job or work that you MUST have. This is not “want to have.” This list is of the things that you must have in order for you to be satisfied and content in your work, the things that will make it possible for you to be excited to start the day when you wake up every morning.
You’ll want to have a “must have” in most or all of these categories:
1) Work you will do
2) Role you will play
3) Impact of your efforts
4) Physical environment
5) Colleagues, culture, emotional environment
6) Compensation
1) Work you will do
What do you like doing? What gives you great satisfaction? What industry or subject area do you love, care about? In what field does your expertise and talent lie? What do you want to occupy yourself doing for work? What are your skills, talents, preferences, likes and dislikes? What brings you joy? What can you lose yourself in so time flies? What are your hobbies?
2) Role you will play
What position will you have in the organization or company? Will you work for someone? For yourself? With others? Be a leader or a follower? Do you like working alone or in a team? Being visible or behind the scenes? Playing the same kind of role consistently, or do you like to move around? Do you prefer to have a single focus or are you happier with a variety of tasks? Do you want to be someone others depend on or free of responsibility for others?
3) Impact of your efforts
Does your work need to matter to anyone other than yourself? Do you want to make a difference? If so, what difference do you want to make? Does it matter what kind of company or organization you work for? If so, what kind of company? And what impact will it have? Is there anything that will make it worth doing drudge work?
4) Physical environment
What do you need to be at your best and do your best work? Do you need privacy, light, quiet, noise, open floor plan, a desk and comfortable chair, no desk and always being outside? There are many variations – only you can decide what kind of physical environment you thrive in. Also can be about location, commuting, hours.
5) Culture and colleagues
What kind of emotional environment do you want? What kind of people? Do your values need to mesh with the values of your workplace and colleagues? What kind of atmosphere helps you do your best? Fast-paced or laid-back? Lots of deadlines or little pressure? Competitive or supportive, or a little of both? Structured or flexible? Formal or casual? 9-5 or varied? Task or mission focused? Start-up or established organization/company? Close supervision or self-direction? How much time do you want to spend working?
6) Compensation
What’s the bottom line dollar pay or salary that you can live with? A figure that covers your basic needs and then some? A figure that makes you feel valued and not resentful? You can have a "want to have" figure that’s higher than your “live with” figure. Are there other ways you can be compensated, such as time off, benefits, recognition, or travel? How much compensation do you need to reflect your value to your employer, or to quit a temporary or maintenance job to work full-time for yourself?
After answering these questions, try to boil down your responses to short phrases of one to five words. You know the intention behind each phrase, and can explain them to people when you tell them what you want.
As you go forward in looking at potential jobs, it is probable that one or two of these items will rise to the top of your list as the most important variables for you to have your best work experience. That will help you decide whether to accept a job or not – if it doesn’t meet those top “must haves,” it’s likely that you won’t last there very long.
You’ll want to have a “must have” in most or all of these categories:
1) Work you will do
2) Role you will play
3) Impact of your efforts
4) Physical environment
5) Colleagues, culture, emotional environment
6) Compensation
1) Work you will do
What do you like doing? What gives you great satisfaction? What industry or subject area do you love, care about? In what field does your expertise and talent lie? What do you want to occupy yourself doing for work? What are your skills, talents, preferences, likes and dislikes? What brings you joy? What can you lose yourself in so time flies? What are your hobbies?
2) Role you will play
What position will you have in the organization or company? Will you work for someone? For yourself? With others? Be a leader or a follower? Do you like working alone or in a team? Being visible or behind the scenes? Playing the same kind of role consistently, or do you like to move around? Do you prefer to have a single focus or are you happier with a variety of tasks? Do you want to be someone others depend on or free of responsibility for others?
3) Impact of your efforts
Does your work need to matter to anyone other than yourself? Do you want to make a difference? If so, what difference do you want to make? Does it matter what kind of company or organization you work for? If so, what kind of company? And what impact will it have? Is there anything that will make it worth doing drudge work?
4) Physical environment
What do you need to be at your best and do your best work? Do you need privacy, light, quiet, noise, open floor plan, a desk and comfortable chair, no desk and always being outside? There are many variations – only you can decide what kind of physical environment you thrive in. Also can be about location, commuting, hours.
5) Culture and colleagues
What kind of emotional environment do you want? What kind of people? Do your values need to mesh with the values of your workplace and colleagues? What kind of atmosphere helps you do your best? Fast-paced or laid-back? Lots of deadlines or little pressure? Competitive or supportive, or a little of both? Structured or flexible? Formal or casual? 9-5 or varied? Task or mission focused? Start-up or established organization/company? Close supervision or self-direction? How much time do you want to spend working?
6) Compensation
What’s the bottom line dollar pay or salary that you can live with? A figure that covers your basic needs and then some? A figure that makes you feel valued and not resentful? You can have a "want to have" figure that’s higher than your “live with” figure. Are there other ways you can be compensated, such as time off, benefits, recognition, or travel? How much compensation do you need to reflect your value to your employer, or to quit a temporary or maintenance job to work full-time for yourself?
After answering these questions, try to boil down your responses to short phrases of one to five words. You know the intention behind each phrase, and can explain them to people when you tell them what you want.
As you go forward in looking at potential jobs, it is probable that one or two of these items will rise to the top of your list as the most important variables for you to have your best work experience. That will help you decide whether to accept a job or not – if it doesn’t meet those top “must haves,” it’s likely that you won’t last there very long.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Market Yourself in Thank You Notes
Always send a thank you note after any kind of interview, phone or in person. It's a chance for you to reinforce your skills, your ability to meet the responsibilities of the position for which you're applying.
Use the opportunity to reiterate your interest and amplify some point from the conversation that perhaps you wish you had addressed further, or that the interviewer seemed to pick up on and like. Stress how you are able to use your abilities and skills to resolve some challenge in the new position.
Use the opportunity to reiterate your interest and amplify some point from the conversation that perhaps you wish you had addressed further, or that the interviewer seemed to pick up on and like. Stress how you are able to use your abilities and skills to resolve some challenge in the new position.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Pre-Interview Suggestions
A few people are having interviews in the next couple of days. Here's some of what I suggest as interview preparation:
1. Remember to focus on what you provide of value to solve his problems - that's what he is interested in. I always say "employers care about your past only as it relates to their future, i.e. shows how you can help them achieve their goals." So, when you tell stories about past projects, relate key learnings and skills to potential projects and clients at this firm.
2. Breathe. Before and during the interview. Take your time answering questions. Have a conversation. Repeat the content of the question at the beginning of your answer. This does three things: demonstrates that you are listening to the person, reinforces that you are answering the question asked, and gives your mind time to organize your answer.
3. If you are asked a tough question, you can use the above techniques, as well as saying "that's a great question." It flatters AND buys you time. Always strive for a "charge neutral" response, meaning no indication that you are uncomfortable with the question and its topic. Also, you can give a quick answer and then follow up with a question like, "I actually wondered about XYZ in relation to that. Is that an area your company is investigating?" The principle here is to turn the conversation quickly back to the employer.
4. At the end of every answer, return to discussing the job at hand. You are always directing the conversation toward how interested in, qualified for, excited about, curious about, and committed to the job being discussed. Your past experience is evidence of how well prepared you are to add value and solve the employer's problems.
5. Anticipate questions and rehearse your answers prior to the interview. Think of an actor going into an audition. S/he prepares an audition piece as well as preparing mentally and emotionally. You are going into a similar situation. Common questions are "why are you interested in working for this company?" "Why do you think you can do this position?" "Tell me a difficult situation that came up and how you dealt with it." "Why should we hire you?"
6. Remember you are interviewing the employer. Your goal is to find your "right fit" work - work where you feel useful, valued, and aligned with your talents and purpose in life. Develop your "Must Have List" as I discuss in other posts, and then assess the position and employer using those criteria. Come into any interview with your list of questions to see how well the job matches your must have list.
1. Remember to focus on what you provide of value to solve his problems - that's what he is interested in. I always say "employers care about your past only as it relates to their future, i.e. shows how you can help them achieve their goals." So, when you tell stories about past projects, relate key learnings and skills to potential projects and clients at this firm.
2. Breathe. Before and during the interview. Take your time answering questions. Have a conversation. Repeat the content of the question at the beginning of your answer. This does three things: demonstrates that you are listening to the person, reinforces that you are answering the question asked, and gives your mind time to organize your answer.
3. If you are asked a tough question, you can use the above techniques, as well as saying "that's a great question." It flatters AND buys you time. Always strive for a "charge neutral" response, meaning no indication that you are uncomfortable with the question and its topic. Also, you can give a quick answer and then follow up with a question like, "I actually wondered about XYZ in relation to that. Is that an area your company is investigating?" The principle here is to turn the conversation quickly back to the employer.
4. At the end of every answer, return to discussing the job at hand. You are always directing the conversation toward how interested in, qualified for, excited about, curious about, and committed to the job being discussed. Your past experience is evidence of how well prepared you are to add value and solve the employer's problems.
5. Anticipate questions and rehearse your answers prior to the interview. Think of an actor going into an audition. S/he prepares an audition piece as well as preparing mentally and emotionally. You are going into a similar situation. Common questions are "why are you interested in working for this company?" "Why do you think you can do this position?" "Tell me a difficult situation that came up and how you dealt with it." "Why should we hire you?"
6. Remember you are interviewing the employer. Your goal is to find your "right fit" work - work where you feel useful, valued, and aligned with your talents and purpose in life. Develop your "Must Have List" as I discuss in other posts, and then assess the position and employer using those criteria. Come into any interview with your list of questions to see how well the job matches your must have list.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Real Life Advice for Networking
I had the amazing opportunity to help a former employee from City Harvest, who is now looking for a food service operations job. He has so many skills and abilities, and now has the marketing materials to let others know about them - resume and stories about accomplishments.
Now his task is to get his information in front of the right people. He wants something very specific, and there simply are not many job postings for his specialty (university food service operations). In other words, it's time for NETWORKING! Here's some of what I recommended:
There is what I just heard called "the retail approach to job search." In this approach, you are looking for a fluke opportunity. Identify companies for which you want to work. Find the name of someone fairly high in the company, preferably someone in an operations slot. While HR can be helpful, it's not my recommended first stop. If an operations leader wants to hire someone, HR will make it happen. If HR wants someone hired, it could happen but it probably won't be a very happy supervisory relationship - unless HR is an amazingly loved entity (rare indeed!).
Then draft a letter and introduce yourself to that person. Follow up with an e-mail or call to say “I hope you got my materials” and keep periodically following up, because those positions are fluke positions. The point is to be somewhat known if and when a specific job opens up. Of course, it's MUCH better if you can say "so and so suggested I introduce myself to you." The person may be predisposed to talk to you.
Thus, that's the second thing to identify: who do you know, who do you remember. For example, you started thinking about your old boss. What about past vendors? Food donors from City Harvest food donors. Other old bosses? Those are the people to whom you say, “I’d appreciate your advice and guidance in my job-search. Where could I go, what kind of jobs do you think would be good for me?”
You're not asking them for a job, you're asking them for advice and guidance. That’s easy for someone to give; who doesn't want to give advice?
Put together your natural network. Who are the people you know who would help you immediately? Identify the easy ones first. Then you make concentric rings outward, with the next group being people who might be a little more difficult to reach out, who require a little more courage and preparation. Write them an e-mail that says “I'm writing to you to ask for your advice and guidance in my job-search. I’m looking for blah, blah, blah. I'm hoping you can give me 20 minutes of your time. I'll come to you.” Go to them if at all possible, because in person is better. And then you must say “if I don't hear back from you, I will call you in a couple days to set something up.”
It's very rare for people not to respond, so if they don't get back to you, they’re probably on vacation or very busy. Simply e-mail them again.
The third thing you can do is ask people at the big food service companies for an informational interview. You say “I want to branch out of the side of the food service business that I've been in and learn more about what they do.” They may not be hiring. You'll get into their presence & consciousness, though, and you'll be ‘top of mind’ when/if a job comes up.
Very important: reach out to the muckety-mucks. I can tell you that the bigger they are, the more likely they are to help somebody who has the chutzpah to get in touch with them. I always helped people who got in touch with me, simply because they did. It was impressive. Plus the bigger people are, the more one's ego likes to hear “I'd like your advice and guidance.”
Talking to a lot of people will help you narrow down what you want to do. Part of the process of networking is gathering more information. You have some ideas but you don't know enough yet to narrow it your intention very specifically. You know what skills you want to use which is good.
Because your basic question is "Where can I use these skills?," you will benefit from informational interviews with people who can help you direct those skills. “I'm looking for an opportunity where I can use XYZ skills in an environment where they are growing, that's entrepreneurial. I am very interested in contract food service, catering, special events.” You want to give people a little bit of flavor of where you want to work so they can start thinking of people they know, “I know somebody at so-and-so and I know somebody here and I know somebody there you should talk to.”
Find some reason, piece of news or hook with which to open your communication. For example, you could say “I see so-and-so is no longer there. Hope everything is working out for you. I'd love to come by and just get your feedback on my resume, as I'm looking. I’m not asking for a job, simply your feedback and guidance.”
People like it when you're not asking them for job; it makes them feel free and you’re not putting them on the spot. Obviously, it would be great if you got a job, but that's not the reason you want to make connection. You want to reconnect in order to get feedback on the resume that you have now. And you want to talk a little bit about ideas you have about branching out and expanding, and to talk about the skills that you want to use. Part of what you want to do with these people is remind them what you can do so they’ll feel comfortable referring you on to other people.
Go after both food service and non-profit. If you don't know exactly what your “right fit job” is, go after everything. The right fit will come to you.
In other words, do everything. Leave no stone unturned. I know that the more actions you take, the quicker you get to where you want to be.
Now his task is to get his information in front of the right people. He wants something very specific, and there simply are not many job postings for his specialty (university food service operations). In other words, it's time for NETWORKING! Here's some of what I recommended:
There is what I just heard called "the retail approach to job search." In this approach, you are looking for a fluke opportunity. Identify companies for which you want to work. Find the name of someone fairly high in the company, preferably someone in an operations slot. While HR can be helpful, it's not my recommended first stop. If an operations leader wants to hire someone, HR will make it happen. If HR wants someone hired, it could happen but it probably won't be a very happy supervisory relationship - unless HR is an amazingly loved entity (rare indeed!).
Then draft a letter and introduce yourself to that person. Follow up with an e-mail or call to say “I hope you got my materials” and keep periodically following up, because those positions are fluke positions. The point is to be somewhat known if and when a specific job opens up. Of course, it's MUCH better if you can say "so and so suggested I introduce myself to you." The person may be predisposed to talk to you.
Thus, that's the second thing to identify: who do you know, who do you remember. For example, you started thinking about your old boss. What about past vendors? Food donors from City Harvest food donors. Other old bosses? Those are the people to whom you say, “I’d appreciate your advice and guidance in my job-search. Where could I go, what kind of jobs do you think would be good for me?”
You're not asking them for a job, you're asking them for advice and guidance. That’s easy for someone to give; who doesn't want to give advice?
Put together your natural network. Who are the people you know who would help you immediately? Identify the easy ones first. Then you make concentric rings outward, with the next group being people who might be a little more difficult to reach out, who require a little more courage and preparation. Write them an e-mail that says “I'm writing to you to ask for your advice and guidance in my job-search. I’m looking for blah, blah, blah. I'm hoping you can give me 20 minutes of your time. I'll come to you.” Go to them if at all possible, because in person is better. And then you must say “if I don't hear back from you, I will call you in a couple days to set something up.”
It's very rare for people not to respond, so if they don't get back to you, they’re probably on vacation or very busy. Simply e-mail them again.
The third thing you can do is ask people at the big food service companies for an informational interview. You say “I want to branch out of the side of the food service business that I've been in and learn more about what they do.” They may not be hiring. You'll get into their presence & consciousness, though, and you'll be ‘top of mind’ when/if a job comes up.
Very important: reach out to the muckety-mucks. I can tell you that the bigger they are, the more likely they are to help somebody who has the chutzpah to get in touch with them. I always helped people who got in touch with me, simply because they did. It was impressive. Plus the bigger people are, the more one's ego likes to hear “I'd like your advice and guidance.”
Talking to a lot of people will help you narrow down what you want to do. Part of the process of networking is gathering more information. You have some ideas but you don't know enough yet to narrow it your intention very specifically. You know what skills you want to use which is good.
Because your basic question is "Where can I use these skills?," you will benefit from informational interviews with people who can help you direct those skills. “I'm looking for an opportunity where I can use XYZ skills in an environment where they are growing, that's entrepreneurial. I am very interested in contract food service, catering, special events.” You want to give people a little bit of flavor of where you want to work so they can start thinking of people they know, “I know somebody at so-and-so and I know somebody here and I know somebody there you should talk to.”
Find some reason, piece of news or hook with which to open your communication. For example, you could say “I see so-and-so is no longer there. Hope everything is working out for you. I'd love to come by and just get your feedback on my resume, as I'm looking. I’m not asking for a job, simply your feedback and guidance.”
People like it when you're not asking them for job; it makes them feel free and you’re not putting them on the spot. Obviously, it would be great if you got a job, but that's not the reason you want to make connection. You want to reconnect in order to get feedback on the resume that you have now. And you want to talk a little bit about ideas you have about branching out and expanding, and to talk about the skills that you want to use. Part of what you want to do with these people is remind them what you can do so they’ll feel comfortable referring you on to other people.
Go after both food service and non-profit. If you don't know exactly what your “right fit job” is, go after everything. The right fit will come to you.
In other words, do everything. Leave no stone unturned. I know that the more actions you take, the quicker you get to where you want to be.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Career Change at the Movies
Linsey Levine, MS is a fabulous CareerCounsel[or] who posted this great article from another Career Coach, Meg Montford. I'll be going to the movie VERY soon (especially since I'm known as Julie and Julia). I love the article because it provides some guidance for identifying what you love to do and then pursuing it.
I saw "Julie and Julia" yesterday and agree with this article by Career Coach and colleague, Meg Montford.
Career Coach Chatter
"Julie & Julia" - A Script for Career Transition
August 10, 2009
"Julie & Julia" appealed to me on many different levels: I love to cook, I love Julia Child's personality, but as a Career Coach, I most love the process of career transition demonstrated in the movie. Seeking a purpose to her life as she felt stuck in a mundane job, modern day Julie set a goal to cook her way through Julia's French cookbook in a year - and blogging about it every step of the way. Her blog took on a life of its own (as blogs can do) and propelled her to job offers from media and publishers. Voila! No more mundane job - hello new career!
Responding to the question every Career Coach asks a hopeful career changer, "What do you really like to do?", Julie Child tells her husband, "Eat!" In a parallel universe we watch Julia Child engineer her own career transition from stay-at-home wife of a diplomat to a professional French chef student that leads to teaching and then to writing her renowned cookbook - half a century ago. With determination and commitment to the process, she keeps pursuing her cookbook dream despite publishers' rejections. She networks (as does Julie) with people who can help her.
The first ingredient required to start any career change process is self-motivation. Julie and Julia did not quit, despite the many obstacles thrown into their way: spouse relocation, unsuccessful cooking attempts, negative comments from others. Instead, they stay focused on their goals, fearlessly trying new things and thriving with the support of those who truly cared.
What really grabbed my attention in the movie was how powerful the blog became as a vehicle for skyrocketing Julie's career transition. Many times a week I discuss blogging with my career coaching clients. Want to get a new job? Start a new career? Then get known on the Internet! That's the first place hiring managers and recruiters look today to learn more about you before scheduling any job interview.
If you don't have a presence on the Internet, you are at a disadvantage - almost as much as if you have a negative presence on the Web. Blogs get indexed quickly so Internet surfers can find them soon after you post. Blog about your career passions spotlighting your knowledge. But if blogging just isn't for you, at least create a professional profile on LinkedIn, the most popular online hot spot for career changers and employers alike.
"Julie & Julia" is a movie everyone who desires a career change must see. Besides its obvious appeal that showcases Meryl Streep's character acting, this movie provides a blueprint for orchestrating your own career change. Watch, listen and enjoy. And take away all its tips to help YOU find the career you really can enjoy.
Bon appetit! (Change your career with confidence!)
Meg Montford
Purpose is the reason you are here on the planet. It's not how you're going to fulfill your purpose - that comes later.
I suggest you write what you think is your purpose using as many words as come out. Then pare down, pare down, pare down to the pith of "I am here on this planet to ..." Aim for fewer than 20 words, preferably 15. It means making choices and understanding what each word means to you very deeply.
I saw "Julie and Julia" yesterday and agree with this article by Career Coach and colleague, Meg Montford.
Career Coach Chatter
"Julie & Julia" - A Script for Career Transition
August 10, 2009
"Julie & Julia" appealed to me on many different levels: I love to cook, I love Julia Child's personality, but as a Career Coach, I most love the process of career transition demonstrated in the movie. Seeking a purpose to her life as she felt stuck in a mundane job, modern day Julie set a goal to cook her way through Julia's French cookbook in a year - and blogging about it every step of the way. Her blog took on a life of its own (as blogs can do) and propelled her to job offers from media and publishers. Voila! No more mundane job - hello new career!
Responding to the question every Career Coach asks a hopeful career changer, "What do you really like to do?", Julie Child tells her husband, "Eat!" In a parallel universe we watch Julia Child engineer her own career transition from stay-at-home wife of a diplomat to a professional French chef student that leads to teaching and then to writing her renowned cookbook - half a century ago. With determination and commitment to the process, she keeps pursuing her cookbook dream despite publishers' rejections. She networks (as does Julie) with people who can help her.
The first ingredient required to start any career change process is self-motivation. Julie and Julia did not quit, despite the many obstacles thrown into their way: spouse relocation, unsuccessful cooking attempts, negative comments from others. Instead, they stay focused on their goals, fearlessly trying new things and thriving with the support of those who truly cared.
What really grabbed my attention in the movie was how powerful the blog became as a vehicle for skyrocketing Julie's career transition. Many times a week I discuss blogging with my career coaching clients. Want to get a new job? Start a new career? Then get known on the Internet! That's the first place hiring managers and recruiters look today to learn more about you before scheduling any job interview.
If you don't have a presence on the Internet, you are at a disadvantage - almost as much as if you have a negative presence on the Web. Blogs get indexed quickly so Internet surfers can find them soon after you post. Blog about your career passions spotlighting your knowledge. But if blogging just isn't for you, at least create a professional profile on LinkedIn, the most popular online hot spot for career changers and employers alike.
"Julie & Julia" is a movie everyone who desires a career change must see. Besides its obvious appeal that showcases Meryl Streep's character acting, this movie provides a blueprint for orchestrating your own career change. Watch, listen and enjoy. And take away all its tips to help YOU find the career you really can enjoy.
Bon appetit! (Change your career with confidence!)
Meg Montford
Purpose is the reason you are here on the planet. It's not how you're going to fulfill your purpose - that comes later.
I suggest you write what you think is your purpose using as many words as come out. Then pare down, pare down, pare down to the pith of "I am here on this planet to ..." Aim for fewer than 20 words, preferably 15. It means making choices and understanding what each word means to you very deeply.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Resumes That Work
Columnist Deborah Wheatman lists Four Reasons You Aren't Getting the Interview and one of them is a boring resume.
Here are some ideas for making 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 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.
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 it should contain:
* a brief paragraph describing your job
* bullet points that highlight your accomplishments
JOB DESCRIPTION
In a four to six line paragraph that starts on the line directly underneath the title of your position, briefly describe the company you work for and your job responsibilities. 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.
Here are some ideas for making 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 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.
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 it should contain:
* a brief paragraph describing your job
* bullet points that highlight your accomplishments
JOB DESCRIPTION
In a four to six line paragraph that starts on the line directly underneath the title of your position, briefly describe the company you work for and your job responsibilities. 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.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
"Staying positive."
Tweeters, bloggers and columnists are united in emphasizing how important it is for people to develop and maintain a positive attitude during a job search. In fact, the consensus is that you'll be more successful in your job search if you can stay positive.
My gang asks "how do I stay positive?" Several are depressed, and all feel at one point or another that this process of finding a new job is frustrating and seemingly endless. It's really hard to have hope, and to just keep going.
We came up with some really practical suggestions for staying positive.
* Accept that it helps to be positive and to have hope. It's like that experiment where you frown and see how you feel, then smile and see how you feel. It's impossible to really smile and NOT feel happier. So choosing to look at the positive is a huge step.
* Vent your frustration and anger and fear and all your emotions. It's normal to feel all those things. By expressing those feelings, you expel them from your body and take away their power. Your feelings no longer are pushing you around without your consent. And you've rid your body and soul of those toxic sentiments, that will grow stronger and become corrosive to your spirit if they are shoved down and left to fester. When your feelings are expressed and outside of you, you can either cast them away as no longer relevant or you can work with them. By working with them I mean seeing if the feelings indicate that perhaps you need to take a new or different action.
* Take a variety of actions. For me and for many job seekers, having many irons in the fire is a fantastic stress reliever and anxiety reducer. Work on putting together a great resume at the same time you're checking the job boards for openings. Create a list of people with whom you can network and prioritize them, while you're drafting cover letters that market you. Set up and go on networking meetings while you are applying for jobs. Create a great LinkedIn profile. Edit your resume based on new information. Look into consulting work while you are waiting to find the right jobs for you. Go to networking events. Take a walk. Grab your laptop and go to a local cafe that has WiFi so you can check e-mail or go on Twitter.
* Get out of your home! Isolation is the danger of being out of work. It is very seductive to turn on the television or sit at your computer all day. And that is usually what leads to depression. I know folks go to Starbucks and local coffee places at regular times, simply to have a routine. It happens that they then meet people in a similar situation, and networking happens naturally. One man I met is a writer who inspired me to really get into my blogging - in part because he overheard me helping others with their job searches. Because of him, I'm following my passion. The point is to stay part of the world. Seeing other people during the day helps one keep a positive attitude, which helps one persevere - and a job search is all about perseverance.
* Allow yourself to do things you really love to do. While it's "a full-time job to look for work," it's also a rare opportunity to spend time pursuing a dream or exploring things that you thought might interest you but never had time to do. Allowing yourself to do some fun things does two things: 1) you have fun, which is always a good thing for staying positive; and 2) you may actually find that you could turn your hobby or passion into paid employment. One woman I know is now running writing workshops, after being laid off from a senior management consulting firm. She loves writing and decided to help others write, while making a little money. It's a start of something that could grow bigger - or not. The point is she's using her skills and following her passion while she searches for a job.
* Find a confidant. This is someone who can help you reframe things, keep things in perspective, and help you think through your process and any hard decisions. For many people, this is a career coach. For others, it might be a really good friend. The goal is to find someone who is willing to listen to your process and your venting, able to ask questions to help you establish your own priorities, and trustworthy enough to challenge your negativity.
* Be kind to yourself. Some days are just hard. That's OK. Tomorrow you'll feel different. Most of us are able to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and start all over again (yes, you can break into song now). Sometimes, all we need is a little break from the grind of looking for a job. That's good, normal, healthy to give ourselves. It's nothing to be afraid of. The danger comes if you find yourself unable to get out of bed or make those phone calls or send those e-mails, no matter how hard you try. Those are signs of depression, and there are great treatments for depression. Doctors and psychiatrists are the people who can help you with those.
* Read about other people's experiences as well as positive blogs, columns and tweets about job search. Reading can give you great ideas about what you can do, provide some perspective about what job search is like and what to expect, and get you outside your own head. It is a way to reduce isolation as well as to gain inspiration for taking that next step that WILL lead you to your next job.
* Trust that you will find a job. Because you will. The guy who wrote that great book What Color Is Your Parachute? (buy it!) says job search is like this: "NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO....(on and on for a whole page of NO)...YES." Eventually, you will find the right job for you. And it probably won't be what you expected. You might have to make some major shifts along the way in terms of what you'll accept, how you live, what you want. No matter what, though, you will get a job as long as you keep going, taking the next step.
My gang asks "how do I stay positive?" Several are depressed, and all feel at one point or another that this process of finding a new job is frustrating and seemingly endless. It's really hard to have hope, and to just keep going.
We came up with some really practical suggestions for staying positive.
* Accept that it helps to be positive and to have hope. It's like that experiment where you frown and see how you feel, then smile and see how you feel. It's impossible to really smile and NOT feel happier. So choosing to look at the positive is a huge step.
* Vent your frustration and anger and fear and all your emotions. It's normal to feel all those things. By expressing those feelings, you expel them from your body and take away their power. Your feelings no longer are pushing you around without your consent. And you've rid your body and soul of those toxic sentiments, that will grow stronger and become corrosive to your spirit if they are shoved down and left to fester. When your feelings are expressed and outside of you, you can either cast them away as no longer relevant or you can work with them. By working with them I mean seeing if the feelings indicate that perhaps you need to take a new or different action.
* Take a variety of actions. For me and for many job seekers, having many irons in the fire is a fantastic stress reliever and anxiety reducer. Work on putting together a great resume at the same time you're checking the job boards for openings. Create a list of people with whom you can network and prioritize them, while you're drafting cover letters that market you. Set up and go on networking meetings while you are applying for jobs. Create a great LinkedIn profile. Edit your resume based on new information. Look into consulting work while you are waiting to find the right jobs for you. Go to networking events. Take a walk. Grab your laptop and go to a local cafe that has WiFi so you can check e-mail or go on Twitter.
* Get out of your home! Isolation is the danger of being out of work. It is very seductive to turn on the television or sit at your computer all day. And that is usually what leads to depression. I know folks go to Starbucks and local coffee places at regular times, simply to have a routine. It happens that they then meet people in a similar situation, and networking happens naturally. One man I met is a writer who inspired me to really get into my blogging - in part because he overheard me helping others with their job searches. Because of him, I'm following my passion. The point is to stay part of the world. Seeing other people during the day helps one keep a positive attitude, which helps one persevere - and a job search is all about perseverance.
* Allow yourself to do things you really love to do. While it's "a full-time job to look for work," it's also a rare opportunity to spend time pursuing a dream or exploring things that you thought might interest you but never had time to do. Allowing yourself to do some fun things does two things: 1) you have fun, which is always a good thing for staying positive; and 2) you may actually find that you could turn your hobby or passion into paid employment. One woman I know is now running writing workshops, after being laid off from a senior management consulting firm. She loves writing and decided to help others write, while making a little money. It's a start of something that could grow bigger - or not. The point is she's using her skills and following her passion while she searches for a job.
* Find a confidant. This is someone who can help you reframe things, keep things in perspective, and help you think through your process and any hard decisions. For many people, this is a career coach. For others, it might be a really good friend. The goal is to find someone who is willing to listen to your process and your venting, able to ask questions to help you establish your own priorities, and trustworthy enough to challenge your negativity.
* Be kind to yourself. Some days are just hard. That's OK. Tomorrow you'll feel different. Most of us are able to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and start all over again (yes, you can break into song now). Sometimes, all we need is a little break from the grind of looking for a job. That's good, normal, healthy to give ourselves. It's nothing to be afraid of. The danger comes if you find yourself unable to get out of bed or make those phone calls or send those e-mails, no matter how hard you try. Those are signs of depression, and there are great treatments for depression. Doctors and psychiatrists are the people who can help you with those.
* Read about other people's experiences as well as positive blogs, columns and tweets about job search. Reading can give you great ideas about what you can do, provide some perspective about what job search is like and what to expect, and get you outside your own head. It is a way to reduce isolation as well as to gain inspiration for taking that next step that WILL lead you to your next job.
* Trust that you will find a job. Because you will. The guy who wrote that great book What Color Is Your Parachute? (buy it!) says job search is like this: "NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO....(on and on for a whole page of NO)...YES." Eventually, you will find the right job for you. And it probably won't be what you expected. You might have to make some major shifts along the way in terms of what you'll accept, how you live, what you want. No matter what, though, you will get a job as long as you keep going, taking the next step.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
What Have You Been Doing to Keep Your Skills Current?
This question is apt to be asked when you've been out of work a few months. And that is the case for many people these days.
While it stinks to not have a job, what an amazing opportunity you have to learn some new things, get into the emerging trends and technology in your field, and build your network! Here are some ways you can keep up and expand your skills during your job search:
1) Use the vast resources of the internet and world-wide web.
Choose a search engine and plug in the name of your field or job or area of interest. Click on a website or news article. Read it. Follow links from that site to the next place. It's like blazing your own trail, following your interest to see what comes up. You may even discover a new area for your job search. Or you'll discover a person at a company you identified as of great interest, and now you have a potential point of contact via LinkedIn.
Look for news about companies and industries you have targeted in your job search. If you know people at those companies, send them e-mails or handwritten notes (preferable) letting them know you noticed them, or saw this article that might be of interest. It's a way to stay in touch and remind them that you are still out there.
2) Find a volunteer opportunity suited to your skills and interests.
There are traditional volunteer opportunities at non-profits, accessed through VolunteerMatch.com, New York Cares and similar Cares organizations in other cities, and by contacting the volunteer office at your charity of choice. Those opportunities may or may not be specifically in your skill area, and some charities are better able to use volunteers than others. Whatever you do, you will be keeping occupied, making connections with other volunteers and with the non-profit's staff, and making a real contribution to a cause. Substantive volunteer work can go on your resume.
Other more traditional volunteer opportunities include serving on your co-op board, organizing a block party, serving on a committee for your town or place of worship, tutoring a child, and serving on the benefit committee for a fundraising event.
More substantive volunteer assignments are available through the National Executive Service Corps and Taproot Foundation. Both treat you like a consultant, assigning you to a non-profit for a specific project and period of time. You apply and go through an interview process. This is akin to getting a job, and is very valuable resume experience.
3) Reach out in your network to help people with their work projects, pro bono.
This kind of work is great because you can get to know a new field and stretch your mind. It's consulting work, so you can put it on your resume as experience.
I did several research projects while I was in limbo after my last full-time job, where I compiled, condensed and wrote reports on topic ranging from re-engaging out-of-school youth in education and workforce development to terrorist incidents in Arab countries.
There are other things you can do more suited to your experience and background - building a friend's website, writing copy for a local event, helping a friend get her artwork into galleries. One man I know offered to volunteer at a conference he wanted to attend but couldn't afford; by handling registration and guiding people throughout the conference, he was able to attend many sessions and to make valuable connections that he is leveraging now for a potential business start-up.
4) Use social media.
Blogging is a great way to keep up with your field. You can start your own blog and use it as a platform to explore issues related to your occupation and industry. Your blog also is the launching pad for going to other people's blogs in your field and commenting intelligently and pithily on their posts. That's the way to get your blog noticed and start to build a community in your field. Who knows what kind of job opportunities might come through that?
Twitter and LinkedIn are two main social media outlets that allow you to connect with people in your industry and field. For one thing, jobs are posted on both sites. Twitter has many job posters, job search groups, and job/career coaches and advisors. You can get lots of expert help with your job search. LinkedIn has job listings, some of which are exclusive to LinkedIn and its users. You can easily see whether you have 1st, 2nd or 3rd degree connections to people at companies that post jobs there.
It's easy to expand your network and knowledge through Twitter. Through Twitter's search function, you can find people who tweet on topics near to your heart and mind, follow them, and hopefully they will follow you back. By responding nicely or with humor to someone's tweets, you can build a nice casual relationship. Retweeting someone's tweets is a terrific way to build relationship, for retweets are a great mechanism for someone to get more followers. If I tweet something and you retweet it to all of your followers, some of them are likely to follow me, too. When you have nice relationships, all sorts of things become possible. I've met people for lunch, had Skype phone calls, raised money for a non-profit, become a Twitter Advice Project Career Expert, and generally created a wonderful "office water cooler" atmosphere.
5) Take classes on-line, at a local community or 4 year college, or adult learning program. Or teach.
There are many on-line sources of free classes and webinars, such as iVillage, Microsoft, HR.com, and probably sites in every field. Simply enter "free classes [field]" and something will pop up. Local colleges usually let you audit a class for a small fee. There also are many adult education classes that cover topics relevant to many professionals. Libraries often have seminars or workshops that are free.
Consider teaching a class in your community. It's definitely a way to keep your skills honed because you have to know more than your students. Even if you have only three or four people show up, that's enough of a group to make it worth your while to share what you know. The exercise of putting together a curriculum is great for focusing your mind. You can talk to your local library about putting something together for them; they often are looking for programming to offer the community.
While it stinks to not have a job, what an amazing opportunity you have to learn some new things, get into the emerging trends and technology in your field, and build your network! Here are some ways you can keep up and expand your skills during your job search:
1) Use the vast resources of the internet and world-wide web.
Choose a search engine and plug in the name of your field or job or area of interest. Click on a website or news article. Read it. Follow links from that site to the next place. It's like blazing your own trail, following your interest to see what comes up. You may even discover a new area for your job search. Or you'll discover a person at a company you identified as of great interest, and now you have a potential point of contact via LinkedIn.
Look for news about companies and industries you have targeted in your job search. If you know people at those companies, send them e-mails or handwritten notes (preferable) letting them know you noticed them, or saw this article that might be of interest. It's a way to stay in touch and remind them that you are still out there.
2) Find a volunteer opportunity suited to your skills and interests.
There are traditional volunteer opportunities at non-profits, accessed through VolunteerMatch.com, New York Cares and similar Cares organizations in other cities, and by contacting the volunteer office at your charity of choice. Those opportunities may or may not be specifically in your skill area, and some charities are better able to use volunteers than others. Whatever you do, you will be keeping occupied, making connections with other volunteers and with the non-profit's staff, and making a real contribution to a cause. Substantive volunteer work can go on your resume.
Other more traditional volunteer opportunities include serving on your co-op board, organizing a block party, serving on a committee for your town or place of worship, tutoring a child, and serving on the benefit committee for a fundraising event.
More substantive volunteer assignments are available through the National Executive Service Corps and Taproot Foundation. Both treat you like a consultant, assigning you to a non-profit for a specific project and period of time. You apply and go through an interview process. This is akin to getting a job, and is very valuable resume experience.
3) Reach out in your network to help people with their work projects, pro bono.
This kind of work is great because you can get to know a new field and stretch your mind. It's consulting work, so you can put it on your resume as experience.
I did several research projects while I was in limbo after my last full-time job, where I compiled, condensed and wrote reports on topic ranging from re-engaging out-of-school youth in education and workforce development to terrorist incidents in Arab countries.
There are other things you can do more suited to your experience and background - building a friend's website, writing copy for a local event, helping a friend get her artwork into galleries. One man I know offered to volunteer at a conference he wanted to attend but couldn't afford; by handling registration and guiding people throughout the conference, he was able to attend many sessions and to make valuable connections that he is leveraging now for a potential business start-up.
4) Use social media.
Blogging is a great way to keep up with your field. You can start your own blog and use it as a platform to explore issues related to your occupation and industry. Your blog also is the launching pad for going to other people's blogs in your field and commenting intelligently and pithily on their posts. That's the way to get your blog noticed and start to build a community in your field. Who knows what kind of job opportunities might come through that?
Twitter and LinkedIn are two main social media outlets that allow you to connect with people in your industry and field. For one thing, jobs are posted on both sites. Twitter has many job posters, job search groups, and job/career coaches and advisors. You can get lots of expert help with your job search. LinkedIn has job listings, some of which are exclusive to LinkedIn and its users. You can easily see whether you have 1st, 2nd or 3rd degree connections to people at companies that post jobs there.
It's easy to expand your network and knowledge through Twitter. Through Twitter's search function, you can find people who tweet on topics near to your heart and mind, follow them, and hopefully they will follow you back. By responding nicely or with humor to someone's tweets, you can build a nice casual relationship. Retweeting someone's tweets is a terrific way to build relationship, for retweets are a great mechanism for someone to get more followers. If I tweet something and you retweet it to all of your followers, some of them are likely to follow me, too. When you have nice relationships, all sorts of things become possible. I've met people for lunch, had Skype phone calls, raised money for a non-profit, become a Twitter Advice Project Career Expert, and generally created a wonderful "office water cooler" atmosphere.
5) Take classes on-line, at a local community or 4 year college, or adult learning program. Or teach.
There are many on-line sources of free classes and webinars, such as iVillage, Microsoft, HR.com, and probably sites in every field. Simply enter "free classes [field]" and something will pop up. Local colleges usually let you audit a class for a small fee. There also are many adult education classes that cover topics relevant to many professionals. Libraries often have seminars or workshops that are free.
Consider teaching a class in your community. It's definitely a way to keep your skills honed because you have to know more than your students. Even if you have only three or four people show up, that's enough of a group to make it worth your while to share what you know. The exercise of putting together a curriculum is great for focusing your mind. You can talk to your local library about putting something together for them; they often are looking for programming to offer the community.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Use August Wisely
Remember the old saying that "luck favors the prepared" August is the perfect time to prepare to land your "right fit" job!
Have your resume ready to go. While you're working on your resume, employers are finalizing job descriptions and postings that will start to appear right before and right after Labor Day. Many employers want to hire people right away to handle the expected heavy work load from late September to early December. If you're ready with your resume and cover letter, you'll be one of the first applicants to reach the employer.
It does help to be one of the first to cross the transom, especially in this economy. Employers are always looking for people who really want to work for their specific company, in their specific industry. Applying early in the search process indicates that you are motivated, even eager, to do this job.
Early application means that you stand a better chance of getting an interview if employers use a rolling search process - interviewing candidates until they get the right person. My experience is that very few employers actually wait to review resumes and start interviews until the advertised "final date for application." Thus, it's not to your advantage to wait until the very end of the process.
Prepare yourself to excel on interviews. Gather information. Use your computer and look up companies and fields that interest you. Become familiar with the field, its key players and its most recent trends, activities and achievements.
Seek out informational interviews with people in the companies and field you have targeted. This will get you connections as well as information. The reason you cite for wanting a meeting is to learn more about the field (company) and you know s/he is one of the best people to learn from. August is often a month where busy people have some time to give for informational interviews.
Here are some questions to ask:
* How did you get into this field?
* What keeps you interested in the field?
* What do you like best about your work?
* Where would you like to see the field (or your company) go in the future?
* What advice would you have for someone like me who wants to work in this field (at a company like this)?
* Is there anyone else you think I might benefit from talking to? If so, may I say you recommended that I contact them?
That's all I'll recommend now because the month fast approaches. Use it well and wisely!
Have your resume ready to go. While you're working on your resume, employers are finalizing job descriptions and postings that will start to appear right before and right after Labor Day. Many employers want to hire people right away to handle the expected heavy work load from late September to early December. If you're ready with your resume and cover letter, you'll be one of the first applicants to reach the employer.
It does help to be one of the first to cross the transom, especially in this economy. Employers are always looking for people who really want to work for their specific company, in their specific industry. Applying early in the search process indicates that you are motivated, even eager, to do this job.
Early application means that you stand a better chance of getting an interview if employers use a rolling search process - interviewing candidates until they get the right person. My experience is that very few employers actually wait to review resumes and start interviews until the advertised "final date for application." Thus, it's not to your advantage to wait until the very end of the process.
Prepare yourself to excel on interviews. Gather information. Use your computer and look up companies and fields that interest you. Become familiar with the field, its key players and its most recent trends, activities and achievements.
Seek out informational interviews with people in the companies and field you have targeted. This will get you connections as well as information. The reason you cite for wanting a meeting is to learn more about the field (company) and you know s/he is one of the best people to learn from. August is often a month where busy people have some time to give for informational interviews.
Here are some questions to ask:
* How did you get into this field?
* What keeps you interested in the field?
* What do you like best about your work?
* Where would you like to see the field (or your company) go in the future?
* What advice would you have for someone like me who wants to work in this field (at a company like this)?
* Is there anyone else you think I might benefit from talking to? If so, may I say you recommended that I contact them?
That's all I'll recommend now because the month fast approaches. Use it well and wisely!
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Concrete Ideas for Reducing Fear of Failure and Rejection
For all of us afraid of "failing," I found this great article by Richard Fenton: Secrets for Turning Failure Into Success. It contains the most useful ideas I've seen on how to recast failure as an asset and a goal instead of something to be avoided. It's the change in attitude I was suggesting as necessary in yesterday's post.
This fits completely into my philosophy of using every experience as a learning opportunity and a chance to help other people. The more I "fail," the more I learn and the closer I am to my own goals. This is what I mean when I say "if it's worth doing, it's worth doing badly." I learn as I take action, and action moves me further along my path, leaving no chance for stagnation, entropy, stuck-ness.
Actually, I have come to believe that there are no mistakes or failures, there are only opportunities to learn and grow. My challenge is how to help others get to that place. Now this article gives me concrete, immediately usable ideas.
I'm going to try some of them, like "Set 'No' Goals" and "Intentionally Increase Your Failure Rate." Pretty radical reformulation of failure, isn't it?
I hope you'll consider reading this article and trying some of Fenton's ideas when you're feeling stuck in your job search and reluctant to risk any more rejection or disappointment. As Richard Nelson Bolles says in Chapter 2 of What Color is Your Parachute* (the granddaddy of all job search guides), a typical job hunt goes like this:
NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO YES
In fact, rejection is a normal, natural and to-be-expected and welcomed part of job search. Yes, it's hard to accept that when you're in the middle of the search and have gotten yet another notification that you weren't selected to go on to the next phase or have received absolutely no response from your phone call or e-mail or application. Those "NO" responses are bringing you one step closer to your 'right fit' job or work.
Fenton suggests celebrating your failures. I'll add: Celebrate those rejections. Say "oh, good! One more NO and one step closer to my new job!" or "Thank goodness I got that NO - it means I'm actively out there, engaged in the search and on my path!"
Give it a try. What can you lose, except unhappiness?
* 1999 Edition, Ten Speed Press: Berkeley, CA
This fits completely into my philosophy of using every experience as a learning opportunity and a chance to help other people. The more I "fail," the more I learn and the closer I am to my own goals. This is what I mean when I say "if it's worth doing, it's worth doing badly." I learn as I take action, and action moves me further along my path, leaving no chance for stagnation, entropy, stuck-ness.
Actually, I have come to believe that there are no mistakes or failures, there are only opportunities to learn and grow. My challenge is how to help others get to that place. Now this article gives me concrete, immediately usable ideas.
I'm going to try some of them, like "Set 'No' Goals" and "Intentionally Increase Your Failure Rate." Pretty radical reformulation of failure, isn't it?
I hope you'll consider reading this article and trying some of Fenton's ideas when you're feeling stuck in your job search and reluctant to risk any more rejection or disappointment. As Richard Nelson Bolles says in Chapter 2 of What Color is Your Parachute* (the granddaddy of all job search guides), a typical job hunt goes like this:
NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO YES
In fact, rejection is a normal, natural and to-be-expected and welcomed part of job search. Yes, it's hard to accept that when you're in the middle of the search and have gotten yet another notification that you weren't selected to go on to the next phase or have received absolutely no response from your phone call or e-mail or application. Those "NO" responses are bringing you one step closer to your 'right fit' job or work.
Fenton suggests celebrating your failures. I'll add: Celebrate those rejections. Say "oh, good! One more NO and one step closer to my new job!" or "Thank goodness I got that NO - it means I'm actively out there, engaged in the search and on my path!"
Give it a try. What can you lose, except unhappiness?
* 1999 Edition, Ten Speed Press: Berkeley, CA
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Radical Change
Today, a client expressed in the baldest terms what I have heard over the past two weeks from a number of people: "There is nothing positive going on." What's funny is that she HAS a job. Others are looking for one and think it will make them happy. She is evidence that this is not true. She's not happy because it's not the job she wants - even though she has not fully articulated what job she does want.
She was the most honest of everyone. Other folks are depressed and discouraged and feel like there's nothing else they can try. My responses are couched in terms like "let's try a different approach if what you're doing now isn't working." For example, one woman was reluctant to send "yet another e-mail" following up on a job, so I suggested sending a handwritten note. To another, I suggested "if you're getting nowhere submitting resumes, try identifying places you want to work and work on getting connected to and in front of someone in that company. That way, you'll be top of mind when a job does come up." Think differently so you have some hope. Be determined to have hope, and figure out a way to grasp it.
This client was different. She expressed a desire to make a radical change - to just abandon everything and take off somewhere. Some folks call that a geographical change, and the problem is that you take yourself wherever you go. The point is that things outside are never going to make you happy. Happiness is a choice.
Anyway, because she was so blunt, I decided to be equally blunt. Here's what I wrote:
Perhaps you do need to make a radical change. Consider some of the possible radical changes you could make, and weigh the options. Just a reminder: radical change can involve actions, attitudes and situations. Everything is a choice and I've found that I feel less "at the mercy of" when I actively make a choice instead of feeling like I'm powerless and just have to submit.
I hear a lot of powerlessness in your venting, and I'm hopeful that by venting, you release some of that powerlessness and see that you are making choices. Yes, your choices are limited by circumstance. And yes, that sucks.
So what are you going to do about it? Choose how you want to feel. Choose how you want to talk about your life. Choose how you're going to approach your circumstances. Choose the goal toward which you're working. That means to articulate it - what ARE you working toward? Financial independence is not enough. What is your PURPOSE for being here on earth? And how are you fulfilling it?
My work is geared toward helping people articulate what kind of work they really want to do, work that fits them extremely well, work that fulfills them, work that draws out of them their absolute best. The process of articulating this is the process of making choices. I observe happiness emerging out of this process, for it's a process of getting to know yourself very well and becoming your own friend - a friend who wants the very best for you.
I wonder if this makes sense to people. It may sound simplistic and "easy for YOU to say..." My experience is that if I even entertain the idea that I can choose how I respond to circumstances, I am on my way to feeling more powerful and better about myself and my life. If I even consider that how I respond to circumstances affects my mood and future attitude, then I am closer to wanting to DECIDE how I respond. When I respond with grumpiness, I stay grumpy - unless I'm just venting and am conscious that I am doing so in order to clear an emotional blockage. When I respond with acceptance and hope, then I feel hopeful and accepting.
I'll be continuing to work with my client to help her get to that point. It takes what it takes, and she continues to show up, which is awesome.
She was the most honest of everyone. Other folks are depressed and discouraged and feel like there's nothing else they can try. My responses are couched in terms like "let's try a different approach if what you're doing now isn't working." For example, one woman was reluctant to send "yet another e-mail" following up on a job, so I suggested sending a handwritten note. To another, I suggested "if you're getting nowhere submitting resumes, try identifying places you want to work and work on getting connected to and in front of someone in that company. That way, you'll be top of mind when a job does come up." Think differently so you have some hope. Be determined to have hope, and figure out a way to grasp it.
This client was different. She expressed a desire to make a radical change - to just abandon everything and take off somewhere. Some folks call that a geographical change, and the problem is that you take yourself wherever you go. The point is that things outside are never going to make you happy. Happiness is a choice.
Anyway, because she was so blunt, I decided to be equally blunt. Here's what I wrote:
Perhaps you do need to make a radical change. Consider some of the possible radical changes you could make, and weigh the options. Just a reminder: radical change can involve actions, attitudes and situations. Everything is a choice and I've found that I feel less "at the mercy of" when I actively make a choice instead of feeling like I'm powerless and just have to submit.
I hear a lot of powerlessness in your venting, and I'm hopeful that by venting, you release some of that powerlessness and see that you are making choices. Yes, your choices are limited by circumstance. And yes, that sucks.
So what are you going to do about it? Choose how you want to feel. Choose how you want to talk about your life. Choose how you're going to approach your circumstances. Choose the goal toward which you're working. That means to articulate it - what ARE you working toward? Financial independence is not enough. What is your PURPOSE for being here on earth? And how are you fulfilling it?
My work is geared toward helping people articulate what kind of work they really want to do, work that fits them extremely well, work that fulfills them, work that draws out of them their absolute best. The process of articulating this is the process of making choices. I observe happiness emerging out of this process, for it's a process of getting to know yourself very well and becoming your own friend - a friend who wants the very best for you.
I wonder if this makes sense to people. It may sound simplistic and "easy for YOU to say..." My experience is that if I even entertain the idea that I can choose how I respond to circumstances, I am on my way to feeling more powerful and better about myself and my life. If I even consider that how I respond to circumstances affects my mood and future attitude, then I am closer to wanting to DECIDE how I respond. When I respond with grumpiness, I stay grumpy - unless I'm just venting and am conscious that I am doing so in order to clear an emotional blockage. When I respond with acceptance and hope, then I feel hopeful and accepting.
I'll be continuing to work with my client to help her get to that point. It takes what it takes, and she continues to show up, which is awesome.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Feeling Stuck and Growing Hope
Yesterday was the day of "stuckness" for several people. The primary theme was "I've done everything I can think of and I STILL don't have a job." The secondary theme was "I'll never get a job." And the tertiary theme was "I don't know what else to do." (Aren't you impressed that I knew the word "tertiary?")
What they're really saying is "I've done everything I think is reasonable to do and I don't want to have to do anything else. I should already have a job and since I don't, I'm going on strike. This is too hard. I don't wanna have to try something else. I know it won't work anyway, so what's the point. And I don't think any of your suggestions will help. You don't know it will work either, so why bother."
Of course, they wouldn't have called me if they didn't want suggestions...so that is just despair talking and I refuse to give into anyone's despair - because it lies. There is always hope. And suggestions of something else to try give hope. Hope fuels action. Action gives us a feeling of power and self-esteem, so necessary to keep going.
For me, this provides a great opportunity to help them move from being stuck into taking a new type of action. And actually I succeeded with each of them - a credit to them and to the tools I've learned to use as a coach. This stuff really works!
First they simply wanted and needed to vent, to hear themselves speak out loud about their frustration and fear and despair. How difficult, depressing, and demoralizing the search is.
They were more open to suggestions once all that was expressed and validated. I said "Yes, it is difficult. Yes, you have done a lot. Yes, I can understand your frustration." Validating their feelings is really important to moving them into a new spot. Once they know it's OK to feel the way they feel, they no longer have to hold onto them so tightly and can let them go. This leaves room for new information and new hope. We have to wipe away some of the despair in order to make room for hope that their difficult journey will come to a positive end.
I then reassured them that they would get a great job. It will happen. I cite my own 2 year job search that ultimately landed me in the job of my dreams, and give them examples of other people's successful searches after long struggle. That's the first component of building up some hope.
Next we went back to the Must Have List that each of them put together, to look again at the things they said they must have to be happy in work. And we went back to some of the questions and answers from a questionnaire I developed called "The Puzzle Piece Called You" in which we uncovered the issues, values and activities that really energize and excite them. This reminded them of what they love and what excites them, and their energy level instantly rose.
From that basis, I suggested a few areas of inquiry and networking they hadn't yet tried. Of course, they all resisted and had reasons it wouldn't work - mainly that they "knew" it wouldn't work even without trying it. When I pointed that out, they all sheepishly admitted that they didn't know it wouldn't work, they just didn't want to do it. That's a different story!
I believe in the "leave no stone unturned" school of job search - as long as there is a new idea or task or area to explore and act on, I am not defeated. I am not done. There is hope, because there's something else to do. I don't know where it will lead, so let me take the action and see what happens.
* In one woman's case, we looked at her volunteer activities and I suggested that she look for work in those areas. She hadn't been willing to do that before - I'm not sure why but she was adamant about it. Now she's looking in that area - she sent me a job posting this morning.
* Another woman and I reviewed jobs for which she'd applied and narrowed down her areas of interest into three main categories. I suggested she target some organizations and companies in those fields and start making appointments for informational interviews. Maybe there are no jobs yet, but who knows when there will be? This way, she'll be a known quantity and stand a better chance of being interviewed.
* A third person was upset that a job interview process had been prolonged yet again, and despaired of ever getting to realize her dream of relocating. She used the phrase "defer my dream" which I jumped on as essentially hopeful. She can get work in her home town and continue working toward her dream. Her dream is not dead, it's simply deferred. As one of my Twitter Tweeps says, "there are no unrealistic dreams, there are only unrealistic time frames." And now she can focus a new round of action on getting work where she now lives.
* One woman doesn't know very many people in the city to which she relocated and felt at a loss to network in her field. She wondered if she should just abandon looking in her field. I suggested that perhaps her contacts in other cities will know people in her new hometown. Also, if she feels there's no future in her current field, perhaps she wants to explore new areas in which to work. She can look for volunteer opportunities to get experience in the new field, and see whether she likes it or not.
There were a few other people with whom I worked on exactly this topic. Maybe it's the fact that it's summer and a slow hiring season in the best of times. Maybe people don't see the market opening up as hoped. I only know that there is always something else to do.
You don't have to think of all the ideas yourself. This week, I realized how useful it is to have a coach - we're able to detach ourselves from the emotions, draw on the experiences of so many other people, and provide inspiration, ideas, perspective and hope to job seekers.
What they're really saying is "I've done everything I think is reasonable to do and I don't want to have to do anything else. I should already have a job and since I don't, I'm going on strike. This is too hard. I don't wanna have to try something else. I know it won't work anyway, so what's the point. And I don't think any of your suggestions will help. You don't know it will work either, so why bother."
Of course, they wouldn't have called me if they didn't want suggestions...so that is just despair talking and I refuse to give into anyone's despair - because it lies. There is always hope. And suggestions of something else to try give hope. Hope fuels action. Action gives us a feeling of power and self-esteem, so necessary to keep going.
For me, this provides a great opportunity to help them move from being stuck into taking a new type of action. And actually I succeeded with each of them - a credit to them and to the tools I've learned to use as a coach. This stuff really works!
First they simply wanted and needed to vent, to hear themselves speak out loud about their frustration and fear and despair. How difficult, depressing, and demoralizing the search is.
They were more open to suggestions once all that was expressed and validated. I said "Yes, it is difficult. Yes, you have done a lot. Yes, I can understand your frustration." Validating their feelings is really important to moving them into a new spot. Once they know it's OK to feel the way they feel, they no longer have to hold onto them so tightly and can let them go. This leaves room for new information and new hope. We have to wipe away some of the despair in order to make room for hope that their difficult journey will come to a positive end.
I then reassured them that they would get a great job. It will happen. I cite my own 2 year job search that ultimately landed me in the job of my dreams, and give them examples of other people's successful searches after long struggle. That's the first component of building up some hope.
Next we went back to the Must Have List that each of them put together, to look again at the things they said they must have to be happy in work. And we went back to some of the questions and answers from a questionnaire I developed called "The Puzzle Piece Called You" in which we uncovered the issues, values and activities that really energize and excite them. This reminded them of what they love and what excites them, and their energy level instantly rose.
From that basis, I suggested a few areas of inquiry and networking they hadn't yet tried. Of course, they all resisted and had reasons it wouldn't work - mainly that they "knew" it wouldn't work even without trying it. When I pointed that out, they all sheepishly admitted that they didn't know it wouldn't work, they just didn't want to do it. That's a different story!
I believe in the "leave no stone unturned" school of job search - as long as there is a new idea or task or area to explore and act on, I am not defeated. I am not done. There is hope, because there's something else to do. I don't know where it will lead, so let me take the action and see what happens.
* In one woman's case, we looked at her volunteer activities and I suggested that she look for work in those areas. She hadn't been willing to do that before - I'm not sure why but she was adamant about it. Now she's looking in that area - she sent me a job posting this morning.
* Another woman and I reviewed jobs for which she'd applied and narrowed down her areas of interest into three main categories. I suggested she target some organizations and companies in those fields and start making appointments for informational interviews. Maybe there are no jobs yet, but who knows when there will be? This way, she'll be a known quantity and stand a better chance of being interviewed.
* A third person was upset that a job interview process had been prolonged yet again, and despaired of ever getting to realize her dream of relocating. She used the phrase "defer my dream" which I jumped on as essentially hopeful. She can get work in her home town and continue working toward her dream. Her dream is not dead, it's simply deferred. As one of my Twitter Tweeps says, "there are no unrealistic dreams, there are only unrealistic time frames." And now she can focus a new round of action on getting work where she now lives.
* One woman doesn't know very many people in the city to which she relocated and felt at a loss to network in her field. She wondered if she should just abandon looking in her field. I suggested that perhaps her contacts in other cities will know people in her new hometown. Also, if she feels there's no future in her current field, perhaps she wants to explore new areas in which to work. She can look for volunteer opportunities to get experience in the new field, and see whether she likes it or not.
There were a few other people with whom I worked on exactly this topic. Maybe it's the fact that it's summer and a slow hiring season in the best of times. Maybe people don't see the market opening up as hoped. I only know that there is always something else to do.
You don't have to think of all the ideas yourself. This week, I realized how useful it is to have a coach - we're able to detach ourselves from the emotions, draw on the experiences of so many other people, and provide inspiration, ideas, perspective and hope to job seekers.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Research to Make Your Resume a Powerful Marketing Document
Once you've finalized your resume, start to get feedback on it. This is the "market research" portion of your job search to ensure that your resume effectively positions you to get interviews for jobs you really want.
Why do this research? Getting "market feedback" before finalizing your resume is a low-risk way to ensure you are presenting yourself effectively BEFORE you enter the job market. If you don't do this preliminary research, you will still get market feedback. Only that feedback will be in the form of not getting interviews for jobs you want, or not getting good referrals from people with whom you network.
Here's how to do this research:
STEP ONE: Create a "focus group"
Identify a few people you respect and with whom you've worked, who are somewhat objective - 4 to 5 is a manageable number. Preferably some of these people will be in your target field (aka "market"). These people will give you particularly relevant feedback because they know the structure of your field or industry and how people fit. If you have a specialized niche, find people in that niche.
It's also good to talk to one or two people who know very little about your field. They can give you a great sense of whether your resume generally communicates well.
STEP TWO: Test your resume with your focus group
Ask each "focus group" member to read your resume with this specific question in mind: "What kind of position do you think is appropriate for a person with this resume?" Follow up questions are "Where would you place someone with this resume?" and "When you read this resume, what kind of positions start to come to your mind?" and "Can you summarize the candidate presented in this resume? Type of role? Strengths? Abilities? Value-added?"
It's always wise to say you're not interested right now in word-smithing - just the specific feedback about how they see you based on the resume.
Although I call it a "focus group," don't try to assemble a group. First, it will be next-to-impossible to arrange. Second, you'll probably be more comfortable asking people one on one.
STEP THREE: Use the feedback to improve your resume's effectiveness.
Since the resume is a marketing document, it needs to market you to the kind of opportunities you want. If it doesn't, then you have work to do on reshaping the resume to better present you for the opportunities you've targeted.
Basically, ANY feedback they give you will be useful. If the feedback is that your resume positions you for exactly the jobs you want - terrific! You've created a great marketing document. If your group give you feedback that you don't like, that's great! You can use that information to fix your resume before you apply for jobs you really want.
So step back and detach yourself from your resume. Your resume is not YOU. It's only a piece of paper. View it as a communication piece. Is it communicating what you want to communicate? If not, then you get to change it.
Why do this research? Getting "market feedback" before finalizing your resume is a low-risk way to ensure you are presenting yourself effectively BEFORE you enter the job market. If you don't do this preliminary research, you will still get market feedback. Only that feedback will be in the form of not getting interviews for jobs you want, or not getting good referrals from people with whom you network.
Here's how to do this research:
STEP ONE: Create a "focus group"
Identify a few people you respect and with whom you've worked, who are somewhat objective - 4 to 5 is a manageable number. Preferably some of these people will be in your target field (aka "market"). These people will give you particularly relevant feedback because they know the structure of your field or industry and how people fit. If you have a specialized niche, find people in that niche.
It's also good to talk to one or two people who know very little about your field. They can give you a great sense of whether your resume generally communicates well.
STEP TWO: Test your resume with your focus group
Ask each "focus group" member to read your resume with this specific question in mind: "What kind of position do you think is appropriate for a person with this resume?" Follow up questions are "Where would you place someone with this resume?" and "When you read this resume, what kind of positions start to come to your mind?" and "Can you summarize the candidate presented in this resume? Type of role? Strengths? Abilities? Value-added?"
It's always wise to say you're not interested right now in word-smithing - just the specific feedback about how they see you based on the resume.
Although I call it a "focus group," don't try to assemble a group. First, it will be next-to-impossible to arrange. Second, you'll probably be more comfortable asking people one on one.
STEP THREE: Use the feedback to improve your resume's effectiveness.
Since the resume is a marketing document, it needs to market you to the kind of opportunities you want. If it doesn't, then you have work to do on reshaping the resume to better present you for the opportunities you've targeted.
Basically, ANY feedback they give you will be useful. If the feedback is that your resume positions you for exactly the jobs you want - terrific! You've created a great marketing document. If your group give you feedback that you don't like, that's great! You can use that information to fix your resume before you apply for jobs you really want.
So step back and detach yourself from your resume. Your resume is not YOU. It's only a piece of paper. View it as a communication piece. Is it communicating what you want to communicate? If not, then you get to change it.
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