Turn “Ho-Hum” into “Hip-Hip-Hooray” in the Workplace!

With spring and the economic recovery (reportedly) in full swing, there appears to be an increasing number of employment opportunities, potentially enabling you to move from your “ho-hum” job onto your “hip, hip, hurray” dream job. If your résumé is in tip-top form (and I mean, “tip top”), you may be ready to enter the murky waters of the interviewing stage. The million-dollar question: “Are you ready to WOW prospective hiring managers?”

 By offering you a few key pointers, I am going to help you transition into these murky waters. Your job: adhere to the following 5 key pointers that can make or break your ability to capture a new career opportunity. These “pointers” have been reported by MSN Careers as “the 5 worst things you can to say in an interview.” (Note that number 1 states the interview remark in a few different ways. Just beware, all should be avoided.)

1. “I hate my boss.”  “I hated my last boss.” “My boss does not treat his employees fairly.” “I will never be promoted by my boss.” Regardless of how you feel about your existing or previous boss, DO NOT SAY or EVEN INDICATE ANTHING DISPARAGING ABOUT HIM OR HER. Further, do not attribute your reason for wanting to leave your job as the reason you are applying for the job you are being interviewed for. Instead, when a prospective employer asks you why you are, will, or have left your job, simply say, “I really wasn’t going to leave my job until I saw what a great opportunity your company is offering. I think the fit between your needs and my skills-set is so great, I could not pass up the opportunity to apply for it.”

2. “I don’t know anything about this company.” As MSN Careers advices, do your research. Know something about the company you’re interviewing for and be prepared to articulate how your skills will complement the business. If you’re a Web designer, for example, MSN Careers says, at the very least study the company website and explain what you like and what you would change, given the chance. If you’re a buyer, compliment the organization on its brand management abilities (if you think they are worthy of a compliment), then explain how you would expand the product line, implement cost avoidance procurement techniques, and contribute to the bottom line.

3. “No questions, thanks.” When it’s your turn to ask questions about the company, MSN Careers advises that you have something to talk about. If you don’t ask questions, it looks like you aren’t genuinely interested in the position. Think of something to ask! How has the economic downturn impacted your business? Have you had to institute downsizing initiatives? If the interviewer already answered everything you wanted to know, rephrase something you already talked about in a new way, advises MSN Careers.

4. “What church do you go to?” Small talk can be great, but know where the professional line is and never cross it, according to MSN Careers (and I couldn’t agree more!). You should neither have nor demonstrate the slightest indication that you care about your prospective employer’s religious affiliations. If the conversation is veering toward inappropriately personal information, such as religion or politics, change direction! Simply bring up a different subject matter, for example, “So, your office furnishings are modern. Did you recently redecorate?” Have your antennae up so that inappropriate conversation does not become a problem, thereby eliminating the need for you to swerve from oncoming headlights.   

.5. “Avoid rants and bitterness.” It’s great to have opinions, but not when you’re interviewing for a job, says MSN Careers. If you come across as angry or so opinionated that you are deemed potentially difficult to work with, you will not be a welcome contribution to the workplace. As MSN Careers suggests (and again, I wholeheartedly agree), “No one wants to work with a serial complainer.”

You Have Lost Your Job . . . Now What?

Okay, so you’ve lost your job.  You were doing a great job at your last place of employment, but the process of making the widgets you were producing has been outsourced and staffing has been reduced. Or, your position has been eliminated and the company can’t afford your salary. Whatever the reason, I want you to know the following truth: being unemployed does not mean you are unemployable.

First, realize that the days of job security are gone and the fact that you’ve been laid off or lost your position due to attrition is not a personal attack on you or your skills. Unfortunately, it is often your ego that’s on life support when you lose your job.  Being the loyal blog readers that you are, I am sure you are aware by now that the first step in beginning the rest of your career, while concurrently resuscitating your ego, is hiring a skilled Certified Professional Résumé Writer to develop a compelling résumé and cover letter for you. That said, I’m here for you!

Second, know that the skills you have developed throughout your career are still viable. If, by chance, you feel that your skills are not up to date and are in need of tweaking – especially in areas relevant to your career – take advantage of programs offered at community colleges or private certificate-oriented training programs.  This advice is of critical importance if your career requires you to be tech savvy and you are not comfortable in maneuvering Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Want to really wow your next employer? Conquer Microsoft Access while you’re at it.

There are wonderful tools available in this digital age for finding employers, as well as avenues for demonstrating your tech-savvy strengths. Build your social networks. And, for goodness sake, realize that prospective employers are perusing your social networks. Use only appropriate language on your Facebook Page. Include LinkedIn and Twitter as efficient tools to spread the word about your job hunt. Employers are online, using social media sites to recruit employment candidates. Make your social networks work for you . . . sooner or later, you will be working too!

 

The Good, The Bad, The Unexpected, and The Down and Dirty Ugly

Let’s start with the good.

According to human resource consulting company Aon Hewitt, its annual Salary Increase Survey revealed that the nation’s corporations are projecting they will provide an average salary increase of 2.9% in 2012. This is an ever so slight increase from the 2011 prevailing salary raise.

Aon Hewitt’s survey further reveals projections for a decrease in companies freezing salaries in 2012, down from 5% in 2011.

And, when we compare these figures to 2010, when 21% of U.S. companies froze pay, and to 2009, when 48% of companies froze salaries . . . well, that’s three pieces of good news.

With the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) predicting that energy, oil, gas, real estate, construction, engineering, telecommunications, and not-for-profit industries will see the highest salary raises in 2012, employees in these industries might even consider this news cause for celebration.

Shall we end this blog on a positive note? I think not.

Onto the expected news: Due to the instability of the economic situation, SHRM predicts that 92% of companies are continuing to opt for performance-based reward programs. My opinion: You can’t blame a company for rewarding top achievers. But, one might ask, are the
companies really rewarding top achievers? Or, are they downsizing the employees who command the highest salaries?

So, we’ve covered the good and the expected . . . onto the bad news.

According to a September 13 article in Reuters, the Congressional Budget Office reported that economic growth in 2011 and 2012 will remain slow and is likely to be lower than their August estimates of 2.3% and 2.7%. The agency is now predicting that the U.S. will see 1.5% growth this year and 2.5% next year. The analysts are also predicting that the unemployment rate of 9.1% will likely remain until after next year’s elections. Consumer confidence continues to take a nose dive, according to numbers released by the August Consumer Confidence Index, as consumers are saying jobs are “ever increasingly hard to get.”

There, my friends, is the down and dirty ugly.

A Word’s Worth: A Re-Inventor?!!

With the job market remaining finicky, I suggest job-seekers and those unhappy in their current professions use their off-time wisely. To optimally adapt to volatile economic conditions, take the time to identify the tools at your disposal. These tools begin with a self assessment of your core values, then fine tuning your values to match your skills, ultimately adding your aspirations into the mix.

There are professional assessment tools designed to broaden your horizons to help you explore and ultimately transition to either a totally new, slightly altered, or full-steam ahead direction. Vocational counselors are in the business of utilizing these tools to determine general personality
characteristics that relate to an occupation type or occupation cluster. Certified Professional Resume Writers / Career Coaches who are good at what they do can also be of service. Having served clients since 1989, I am up to the challenge of helping clients “reinvent” or “redefine” themselves.

Although vocational theorists base their findings on a response analysis using a complex statistical correlation procedure, I base my findings on individuals being, well . . . individual. I believe that a qualified Certified Professional Resume Writer / Career Coach (such as myself), can factor data, ranging from interpersonal tendencies to preferences, to help people make employment transitions. A Word’s Worth Resume Writing and
Career Coaching Service is up to the challenge!

I agree with vocational counselors that most occupations are considered a combination of characteristics. For instance, one characteristic is
“enterprising,” characterized by competitive, energetic, and adventurous individuals. These types of individuals generally enjoy positions of leadership and status, perhaps employment that provides them an opportunity to persuade others. Typical work activities may include selling, purchasing, political maneuvering, giving presentations, etc. People who enjoy this type of work envision themselves, as an example, in real estate, life insurance, auto sales, or stockbrokerage.

I can help you assess your attributes and your aspirations, facilitating you in redefining / reinvesting yourself. Let’s say you envision yourself as a real estate agent / realtor. With the real estate market currently in a slump, the next logical step might be to look into a position related to real estate. For example:

• Real estate appraisers set a value on property for a variety of reasons, among them refinancing mortgages. If you like buying and selling houses, chances are you know a lot about them, and you may well be in a position to appraise them. Since mortgage rates are at an all-time low, it seems like the market for real estate appraisers might be better than the market for real estate sales professionals.

Want more examples?

• An unemployed stockbroker into today’s market could well thrive as a compliance officer since he is familiar with the rules and regulations common to the brokerage industry, plus his core skills set is heavily based on finance.
• A self employed house painter who wants to “reinvent” himself has to first realize that he utilizes math and communication skills on a daily basis, as well as creative and visionary thinking. He establishes rapport with suppliers and customers. He has to think on his feet, since there are various situations that may crop up while painting a house, from adjusting a ladder when the  ground below is sinking to repairing dented walls. With a great eye for  detail, and work habits capitalizing on accuracy and organization, a house painter could transfer this skills to those of an accountant, proofreader, statistician, or customer relationship management professional.

Research dictates that career satisfaction equates with a level of happiness / complacency among individuals.  The reverse is also true; if you hate your job, you are probably not real happy. With this in mind, I believe that the person seeking to reinvent herself / himself and I make could make a great team. Call me today: 609-758-7799 to get started on planning the rest of your “happy” life.

Sometimes, You Just Can’t Win

I have been a resume / cover letter writer / career coach for more than 22 years. Throughout those 22+ years, I can honestly say I have never pissed off a client. The reason for this is because I try my hardest to do the best job I can possibly do.

First, I ensure my clients and I are “good fits” by pre-interviewing them on the phone before I even reach for my appointment book. Then, I review my clients’ existing resumes (if they have one) and I ask my clients to provide me with one to three samples of job postings of interest to them, regardless of timing, compensation, or location. During this pre-interview preparation period, I let my clients know what will be expected of them. Lastly, I research my clients’ industries and study their choice of job postings. I actually do preliminary work on their projects prior to meeting them, prior to conducting my in-person fact-findng interviews, prior to collecting a penny in compensation.

Why do I do this? Because, as stated in my last post, I love my job. This business model was going quite well for me . . . and for my clients . . . until Saturday, April 2. This date will remain embedded in my memory for years to come.

Actually, I retract that statement. April 2, 2011 went just fine. The client I interviewed left here with a smile on his face and a signed contract in his pocket, stipulating that I would have his resume and cover letter drafts emailed to him on April 19, 201l.  I was happy too, having charged his Visa account for the fee he owed me for the completed documents, as is my policy.  All seemed just fine.

Then, on April 14, five days before the documents were due, I received a call from the aforementioned client, demanding that he see a rough draft of the resume and cover letter NOW, not later.

“You see, Mr. So and So,” I said, “I will have the resume and cover letter drafts for your review on April 19, just as you agreed to on the signed contract.”

“I want to see the rough drafts before the 19th,” he replied. “How do I know I will approve them?”

“You don’t have to approve them when I send them to you,” I explained. “You can, at that time, proof the documents carefully and let me know of any and all changes you want implemented and I will gladly make those changes.”

To put it mildy. Mr. So and So did not like my business model and he told me so in no uncertain terms. In fact, he became irritated, agitated, and downright nasty.

I am embarressed to say that instead of standing up to him, I emailed him the rough drafts the following day, stipulating that they were not finalized, and because I was emailing them 4 days earlier than the due date (and I was concurrently meeting other client deadlines), I urged him “to please keep in mind that I will implement any and all changes / corrections to the rough resume and cover letter drafts.” Apparently, Mr. So and So was neither listening to me on the phone nor reading my emails on the computer.

A Better Business Bureau complaint filed and resolved in my favor and awful reviews of A Word’s Worth on two review sites later, and I can see the error of my ways.

Oddly enough, I did not err by compromising on the quality of the resume and cover letter. Even Mr. So and So said he liked what he read. His complaint is that I left the editing of the documents to him and did not want to continue working with him.

This, my dear readers, is simply not true. Even after he published those nasty, untruthful reviews of A Word’s Worth, I would still work with Mr. So and So until he was completely satisfied with the documents I wrote for him. Yes, even after the Better Business Bureau found the discrepancy to be resolved in my favor and confirmed my A+ rating, I would still work with Mr. So and So. Why? Because I love my job . . . even though sometimes, you just can’t win!

I LOVE MY JOB!

I LOVE MY JOB!

As we grow older and wiser, we generally learn, among other things, that there are many more lessons to learn. As toddlers and adolescents, we learn to explore and expand our surroundings. As teens, we learn the consequences of our actions. As adults, we learn to face the dynamic challenges of life.

At the very essence of these “dynamic life challenges” is the workplace, where, in the past few years, employers have learned to their dismay that the product or service that had kept them at their top of their game for the last 5, 10, or 15 years has been replaced, duplicated, outsourced, or eradicated. Likewise, employees have learned the painful lesson that the job / career they thought they would have for life has run its course.

Throughout my 22-year path as a Certified Professional Resume Writer / Career Coach, I too have learned some valuable lessons. Although I have always “pre-interviewed” prospective clients to ensure we were a good fit – basically, that we were both comfortable and confident that I could create wining branding documents for them – I have adapted to the changing times, actually modifying my business model to optimally meet the needs of my clients.

In the past, at the close of my telephone conversation with prospective clients, we would arrive at a mutually convenient date and time for our in person meeting; then we would part ways until we met to begin the process of professional branding via resume, cover letter, and Linked In profile preparation. Since the economic downturn, however, I have been throwing newly booked clients a curve ball. I ask that they conduct an Internet search for postings that interest them, regardless of timing, compensation, or location and that they email me one to three of those postings. I do this because:

• I need to know where their passion for employment lies — what type of job / career they REALLY want.

• I may need to research a particular area of interest. Just because I have been in the career-support service industry for most of my adult life, I may not know all that I need / want to know about a specific position or industry. (Besides, I’m REALLY into preparation.)

Then, I go a step further, bordering on making a pest of myself. I ask my newly booked clients to email me an existing resume if they have one, regardless of how old or decrepit. I do this because:

• I need to know how much work I have to do to get my clients from Point A (where the prospective client is now) to Point B (where he or she wants to be). Then, and only then, am I able to schedule and conduct a comprehensive interview, learning both quantitative and qualitative information that I can translate into branding statements in the form of a resume, cover letter, and / or LinkedIn profile. I do this because:

• I can estimate (fairly accurately) what the project will cost, and then relay this information to the client.

• It enables me to respond in the affirmative to clients who message me with requests like this recently received email: “After you prepare the resume and cover letter and I get an interview lined up, I was wondering if you could help me practice going on an interview. It is very hard to break those habits you saw me do. I want to make a good impression during the interview. First impressions mean a lot.”

After I respond in the affirmative – stating that I would be happy to help the client who wrote the aforementioned email — I realize that I have learned a valuable lesson: I love my job!

Organizing Your Job Search Contacts

Guest post by Janet Barclay

Today’s post wraps up our series about organizing your job search

During your job search, you will probably communicate with hundreds, if not thousands, of people, but in order to make effective use of the network you develop, you’ll need a way to keep track of all your contacts.

The simplest method is a card file system, with a card for each contact. Each card should include the contact’s name, title, organization, address, telephone number, fax, and email address, the source of the lead, and dates and details of any conversations, correspondence, or interviews. You may find it helpful to set up a recipe box with a set of dividers labelled with the days of the week and a set numbered 1-31 for the days of the month. You can file each card under the date you wish to contact that person. For example, you may speak with someone on the 10th who suggests that you call him or her in two weeks. After noting the information on the index card, file it in the section for the 25th where it will serve as a reminder for you to follow up.

There are wonderful software programs available that can help you with organizing your job search contacts. Winway Resume, for example, has a section for storing contact information that you can merge with your cover letter. ACT! allows you to schedule tasks and reminders as well as perform mail merges. If you don’t wish to buy or learn a new software package, email address books in Outlook, Windows Mail or free Web-based email packages are also an excellent way to keep track of your contacts. However, unless you have unrestricted access to a computer, or a portable system such as a BlackBerry, you won’t be always able to access the information. The key features of any organizational system are ease of recording and ease of retrieval. If using an electronic system will make your job search more complicated and time-consuming, don’t use it.

Job searching can be overwhelming, but when you organize your schedule, workspace, and contacts effectively, you’ll be able to stay on track and find your new job more quickly.