Resume Update or Complete Revamp?

As you progress through your career it is important to have available an up-to-date resume. You never know what outstanding opportunity will come along. Your resume should be a selling tool focused on the wants and needs of the type of employer you would like to work for. As your career progresses so does your skills and achievements.

With each new position you are accumulating skills, knowledge, achievements and confidence in your abilities. The highlights of each position should be added to your resume, sometimes just adding the latest position to the resume is enough. This process might work once or maybe even twice if the work in the new jobs is the same as the old. Most of the time, however, it is worth the time to do a complete overhaul to make sure your resume is at the level it should be.

While your career is moving forward it is important to keep your resume in line with your goals. What are your goals and objectives these days? Have they changed since the resume was last written? If they have, you will want to figure out exactly where your current goals are in order to write a resume that moves you toward your new goals.

Completely revamping your resume is a great way to ensure your career objectives are clearly represented in your resume.

Let’s start at the top.

· Your resume should have a title. The title should be the name of the position you are seeking. If you haven’t held the position before, you can write “Executive Sales Manager Profile or Candidate” or something to that affect. Until the last few years the actual title the resume was written for had to be hunted for by the reader of the document. You don’t want the reader to hunt for anything!

· Develop a stellar qualifications summary, skills set and or powerful branding statement to articulate your most notable skills, experience, or achievements. Career Objectives are pretty outdated, honestly, I haven’t written one in years. It focused on what the job seeker / candidate wanted instead of what the hiring manager or recruiter was looking for.

· A thorough review of each job description should be completed to make sure the descriptions and accomplishments are targeted toward the job description of the position you are seeking. Make sure to use concrete examples that lots of quantifiable numbers such as size of company, sales quota’s, team / department size, percentage or dollar amount of revenue increases or cost reductions, projects completed and anything else that is relevant.

· Make sure you use industry and position-specific keywords throughout the document so it sounds like it was created just for the position you sent it to. It also improves your chances of getting through the filters it encounters before ever getting in front of the targeted audience.

· Review your education and training. Include any new training, certification, or degree completions. The same is said for new associations, affiliations or volunteer work that is related. The longer it has been, the less you need to include about your education. Usually just the school, degree, city and state (and GPA if 3.5 or higher) is sufficient after 10 or more years.

· Do not mention your references on the resume. Have them with you and available at the interview and assume they will want a copy. Just a note of caution on background checks. With the internet, your information will be checked on even past the contact names you gave. Make sure your facts and experience are accurate and honest. Your resume will be overlooked if any inconsistencies are found, even if the difference was just a typo.

Lastly, make it shine! Make it as concise, powerful and as targeted as you can. Include adequate amounts of white space and other formatting to make the document stand out and easy to read. The employer wants to be able to read your resume and imagine those same achievements can be accomplished at his company. Write it for others, not for yourself and you’ll be in the running for a great job.

Shine On!

The Hidden Value of Thank-You Notes

Something I have noticed increasingly in recent years is the lack of “Thank-You” notes I receive in my professional and personal life. Of course, you don’t work for the thank-you but it is nice to be appreciated for a job well done. I have also noticed a similar occurrence with receiving personal thank-you notes. Usually it is months before receiving thank-you notes for a wedding, shower or graduation gift I have given.

I was involved with a volunteer program that provided a small gift as part of baptismal preparation to parents of newborns in our church. After ten years working monthly on gifts for our newest members I received only a thank-you note from one set of parents. Again, I don’t think most people volunteer for the “thanks”, but it was a nice treat to receive the note especially when it wasn’t expected. And looking back it was a little sad that out of dozens and dozens of new parents only one couple took the time to thank me for my part in their celebration.

Thank you notes in the business world and in particular the hiring process are equally important. They are a hidden advantage for those who use them according to a recent survey which showed that 75% of hiring managers expected thank-you notes while only receiving them 36% of the time.

Be different – get noticed and write thank you notes!

After completing a round of interviews, notes should be sent to all participants, even the administrative assistant if they were involved in the process. Once you have accepted a job it would also be thoughtful to send notes to the contacts on your reference lists, any recruiters and all others that helped you during your job search.

The most successful thank-you notes are sent within 24 to 36 hours of completing the interview. This not only keeps you fresh in the hiring manager’s mind, but also may be an unknown pivotal move that can be a decision maker or breaker.

Points to mention in the thank-you note include of course a thank you for the interview opportunity and even a compliment on how the interview was run. Many interviewers are not comfortable with the challenge and a compliment on their ability to make you feel so comfortable or welcomed will be appreciated. Next, reiterate a topic or discussion that was lively or important and will be remembered by the hiring manager.

The thank-you note should convey your continued interest; it can be used to ask for or provide clarification and should move you forward by asking for the next step. Clarify the next move by asking for understanding of additional information they might be looking for in the next round of interviews or to make their final decision.

If you have decided the company is not the place for you once you have participated in the interview, this would be the right place to let them know. It will save them time and money to know in a timely manner that you are taking your self out of the running for the position.

Used correctly, thank-you notes can be very effective selling tools as well as emphasizing your communication skills, follow-up abilities, and your consideration. They might just be the deciding factor for a hiring manager so make it a habit and use thank-you notes with every interview.

Are Your References Working For You?

Today, every job seeker should include a current reference list as part of their career portfolio. There are many questions I am often asked about reference sheets and what they should include. So, I have prepared some suggestions to assist you in updating your reference list to ensure your references work for you.

First I must begin by saying that references do not belong in a resume. The list should be available in a separate document. Secondly, a reference or line somewhere on the resume saying, “References are Available Upon Request” or something similar this, is also not necessary. If and when the hiring manager is in need of your reference sheet it will be asked for. Having the sheet ready in duplicate, along with your other career documents, and in an organized portfolio and available for your interview or next networking meeting illustrates your motivation and the importance to you in finding a new job.

Your reference sheet should include four to six contacts. Each contact should be relevant to your current career goals and should be able to reflect on achievements of your past. The references should be professional associates of some kind. One “friend” with credentials is usually acceptable. The contacts should be made of employers, co-workers, staff members, past employers, internship employers, college professors, association or volunteer leaders, and department heads.

Contact names that come from current or past employment don’t always need to be immediate superiors. It might be a better choice for the position you are seeking or because of unfavorable history to use someone you worked closely with such as a district manager or other superior that you reported indirectly to. Including one or two co-worker references is a good way for potential employers to see whether you related well with coworkers, or were a team player who got along with colleagues. These references can provide a clue to your dependability, work ethics, organizational skills and more.

When deciding on your contact list always ask for permission before putting anyone on your list. Inform them of they type of job you are looking for and make sure they have no hesitation or conflict in being a contact for you. Provide clear guidelines as to what would and would not be appropriate information to share. Many contacts although trying to be helpful, can get carried away during the referral and say too much. Develop a written outline with skills and achievements, projects, experiences you would appreciate the contact to mention. Make them aware that you would rather them not elaborate more than what you’ve asked of them. You want your references to work for you, preparing your contact is your best defense. On your reference sheet each contact should include name, title, company, address, and phone number.

As you progress through your job search keep your references aware of your progress. If you know they will be contacted soon send them a quick email or give them a quick call to prepare them. Once you have found a new job don’t forget to send each of your contacts a hand written note of thanks or offer a small gift of appreciation. Even if the contact was never used during your job search it is still a nice to thank them for their willingness to assist you and is very professional.

Expect potential employers to contact those on your reference list. Also expect them to verify your college information, title information of some or all jobs from your past even if they are not on your reference list. Other checks that occur regularly are licenses, certifications and other qualifiers; projects you worked on, volunteer work, and military backgrounds. I have even heard of an increase in personal credit checks of potential employees. This is why it is so important to be honest in your career documents; usually it is grounds for immediate dismissal if you have been found falsifying information.

Lastly, be aware that the next time you are in the market for a new job; make sure you complete the referral collection process all over again. Don’t assume old contacts will want to be on your list again or that they will be the right fit for future job searches. Be prepared and keep your references aware to ensure they are working for you.

Five Ways To Get Your NET-Working For You

Recently I have been investing a great deal of time exploring the online networking advantages for my business as well as possible benefits I could pass on to my clients. I began with LinkedIn thanks to my good friend sending me an invitation last summer. I developed my profile and then – that was it. In the past few month however, I have worked to expand my network and join several networking groups, and have realized many the benefits it can afford to me and even more importantly my clients. Listed below are five ways for job seekers to use groups and formal networking to drive their job search and expand opportunities.

1. There are many local networks in every community that not only network as businesses but offer areas on their sites where resumes can be reviewed and also where jobs are listed that are available in your area. Check into local associations within your industry as well, their sites. They usually offer similar job and resume boards. Not only is it free but you are opening your network and job search needs to more people than you could have possibly imagined by joining and using several local networks as job boards.

2. When using these networks make sure to become an active participant. Start with a greeting to the group vial email. Provide a quick introduction of who you are and what you offer and what your current needs are such as a sales job within a particular industry.

Develop and save a descriptive signature to be used when signing your name. In your signature, include your name, email address, contact phone number and any addresses where your resume can be viewed online. You could also include your LinkedIn address and use a well-crafted profile to provide a detailed description of your past achievement and potential to an interested company.

Use this signature every time you respond on a group’s e-list or forum. It is a convenient way for others in the group to easily contact you without researching you in order to find your contact information. It also reminds members of who you are and what you are looking for.

3. Use the networking sites to your advantage by asking questions, getting involved in conversations or topics which you can contribute to. When contributing, make sure that you follow the rules of the group, using appropriate language, content etc. This should not be a problem since you are trying to attract and impress potential contacts and even employers.

As you begin contributing to the groups, one thing to keep in mind is to not dominate every conversation with your input. Some people feel the need to comment on every topic or conversation. The result is that you come across with watered-down integrity, someone who just wants to add their .02 cents and “hear themselves talk” whether it is needed, helpful or otherwise. Find the effective balance and you’ll be taken serious and get noticed for the right reasons.

4. I have also seen many incidents of job seekers asking for help from the group with her job search. Often by asking for members to keep an ear open for the position she is seeking or by asking for an introduction to a contact or hiring manager of a particular company. The local groups are especially productive for this type of networking.

Groups to consider becoming involved with can include your local county or business groups, women’s clubs, men’s clubs, chamber organizations, or college alumni group. Once you start looking you will be surprised how many groups are available and open to the public.

5. Remember to let the groups know when you have successfully found a job. Thank each group for their support and assistance. Any specific members that have helped you deserve a personalized thank you note. Don’t quit participating in the groups just because you found a job. They still offer great friendships, knowledge, future knowledge, future contacts and many other things that may just surprise you. You don’t need to stay active in all the groups but just the few that really caught your attention and you felt comfortable participating in.

Online networking is growing very quick and if you get too caught up in joining groups and contributing to all of the groups and activities associated with some of the more active groups; you won’t have time to search for a new job. Do take some time to work through the vast groups available to you. Find out which groups you feel will be most helpful and give them a try. It is a great way to meet others in your industry and gain wisdom through your new found connections.

Knowing When Not to Accept An Interview Offer

For the experienced job seeker and employer, expectations increase for new jobs as careers progress. The employer looks to find job seekers with numerous achievements that reflect increases or improvements revenues and customer service. Employers look for advanced skills in management, leadership and communications as well as in-depth knowledge of the industry. Expectations are high before the interview ever takes place.

At this same time the job seekers are advancing in their career, they too have certain expectations for the positions they accept. Job seekers at this level are close to, if not already executive level and expect a particular range in salary, benefit packages, retirement plans, and leadership accountability. The higher the career level, the greater leverage job seekers also expect to have. Screening interviews can be very helpful at this level; they serve to eliminate wasted preparation time and effort for both employer and job seeker.

Screening interviews are often completed over the telephone and gives the employer or job seeker a chance to evaluate current or future work opportunities. Often initiated by employers the job seeker should understand they could just as easily originate the screening interview if they have reservations regarding the position. It is an efficient way to discover preliminary information that is critical to the accepting the position, doing so before the interview process begins saves both the employer and job seeker valuable time and money.

The screening interview occurs after the interview offer has been extended but before the offer has been accepted. If there are specific determining issues for either party, it is essential to complete the screening to decide if further pursuit for a formal interview is necessary.

Several issues may initiate a screening interview for employers such as travel or relocation expectations and starting date availability. Job seekers may feel criteria that must be met before proceeding to interviews such as benefits, hours worked per week, available corporate advancement, or retirement package availability must be available.

Honest and upfront expectations will let employers know the job seeker is serious about the job search, has specific determinants which must be in place before accepting the interview offer and is confident enough to discuss the issues before wasting precious interview time. It would be far more costly if the job had been accepted only to leave early on after realizing expectations didn’t meet reality.

Job seekers gain confidence as careers progress and therefore screening interviews are seen more often at higher levels in professional and executive career levels but should be considered at any level. The employee search is expensive and time consuming for companies and being upfront about personal expectations will save company time and give them a better impression of your goals and potential. Either way a winning outcome for both the job seeker and the employer.