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The Power of the Story

December 11th, 2009 @ 08:12am

When job hunters strive to make their resumes fit a "proper" format, and thus sound flat and colorless, I cringe. When job interviewees turn quiet and obedient in an interview practice, I wince. Somehow, someone, somewhere must have told everyone there was/is only one way to do a resume, do an interview, and the lesson stuck.

And now a paragraph that seems to have nothing to do with the previous one: Human beings love stories. From the dawn of time, we've sat around the fire, listening to stories. Today, it's sitting around the dining room table on a December holiday, or on the commuter bus with a Kindle, and yes, next to the fireplace curled up with a book -- each taking in a story. Family treasures include stories of how great-great-great grandma came to this country, or how grandpa moved everyone west for more farmland, or how Mom went back to get her GED. It must be in our DNA.

So why do we stop telling stories when it comes to job search? It should be the opposite. Employers have pretty much the same DNA as other humans, and need to hear your stories. I don't mean the one about Grandpa, I mean illustrations of how you have been successful. As I like to say to my clients, "Don't tell me, show me. Show the employer."

So the candidate who says "I am a good manager" is telling me. It's flat, blank. But the candidate who says "Let me give you an illustration of how I manage. When I came to the team, three of our best people were about to quit. I sat down with each of them, then the rest of the team. I listened a lot, talked about what I could change and not change, and negotiated with them to stay at least three more months to see if they could live with my proposed changes. They agreed and we made those changes -- I didn't want to lose my top producers. One thing I did was increase the bonuses for 'biggest increases for the month'. Not only did those three stay, they increased their performance AND the rest of the team moved up, too. It was fun to hand out those bonuses, which cost only 10% of the increase the team gave us! Now it's the most desired team to be on, in the whole company. I believe I can bring that same kind of management style to you here."

Wow!

As that candidate tells that story, the interviewer is picturing him sitting down with his people, talking with his people, and then is eager to here where the story goes. The story's payoff is the success (increase in performance/$). THIS is what makes the candidate the one who gets the second interview and third and the offer.

It's the same with resumes: job hunters have to get away from making their resumes sound "proper" or legalish or tepid. Spice it up with successes and before-and-after info. Put in a juicy quote from your manager or a client. Use numbers as numerals, not spelled out -- a "rule" I love breaking. Then go crazy on your LinkedIn profile by repeating your key words over and over again. Do what gets results -- calls for interviews --- and do interviews that are alive with stories -- not what's "proper".

So what's your story?

Posted by Joanne Meehl | in interviews, Job Search, resumes, | No Comments »

It's Official: The Death of the Resume Objective

January 22nd, 2010 @ 04:01pm

Let the proclamation go forth: the resume "Objective" is dead!

It's another casualty of this economy.

I haven't used one on clients' resumes in over twelve years. First, they're usually highly predictable, thus they are boring. Second, they are too selfish. Third, they use very valuable real estate that could be used for much better information. And a possible fourth: because of the first three, they make the user seem way out of date.

On the point of them being predictable thus boring, here's one that I've seen over the last 20+ years that never seems to change: "Seeking a challenging position with a growing company where I can use my many ______ skills". Yes, employers want to know what you want: they don't want to hire someone who's only lukewarm about their work or the company.

But your goal is better expressed in a Summary near the top of page 1 that uses phrases like "Thrives on teams that generate new ideas." It's better to use those words than to use longer, Latinate, multi-syllabic words that sound like a lawyer wrote them, as in "Succeeds in positive environments where innovation is a priority" -- too passive, no pictures, no "spark" to the language. Don't be afraid to be unique and different if it better describes how you'd jump right in and produce results right away. Those who read resumes are looking for the person who can clearly tell them why they should hire them -- and hire them now.

On the "selfishness" of an Objective, they are all about you, aren't they? "I want, I want, I want..." That's the key thing that makes them terrible to use. Today, every communication you make during a job search should be all about the employer and their pain and how you can eliminate it. Do I need to emphasize how important that is in this economy? Let me say this again: Do I need to tell you that you MUST do this today?

Obviously, what you say about yourself needs to be true of you. If it is true, and it's good stuff, then that's what should come across, not only in your Summary, but in your bulleted items. Still, so many people show me their resumes with an Objective because people out there who purport to be career counselors or coaches are still teaching them and using them. That's an outdated practice that I've written about elsewhere (scroll down for "Wrong, Wrong, Wrong, a rant", from July 2009), where well-intentioned people are giving out very old information.

And on the third point, and especially today, an employer wants to read your resume quickly, wants to know right away if you are a possible interview candidate. If you take up valuable space at the top of page 1 telling them what you want, in boring language, you are then NOT taking that space to say "Here's what I can do for YOU." So use that precious real estate to get to the point. Don't give history ("21 years as a Sales leader..."). Instead, give results ("Sales Professional who generates new revenue").

Resume "Objective": R.I.P. -- but we're glad you're gone.

Posted by Joanne Meehl | in Job Search, resumes, | No Comments »

Seven Tips on Choosing A Resume Professional

March 21st, 2010 @ 11:03pm

"Seven Tips on Choosing A Resume Professional" -- I almost wrote "resume writer" in this title. But today, being a resume "writer" isn't enough. I know because in the last six months, three people have asked me to re-do the resume they paid to have written for them. Why? Because it did not result in the phone calls it is supposed to generate. That's its job.

Certainly, writing and command of the language is vital. The wording should be easy to read, marketing-oriented, honest and real for the client, current, and it should communicate energy. But other knowledge comes into play:

1. Make sure they know careers and the workplace. Not only career fields and job categories -- yours in particular -- but job titles, how people move up and around various types of organizations, product vs service environments, and so forth. Experience in business in a variety of roles helps. And evidence of their knowledge through articles that they've written, for example, is a strong indicator they truly understand their job.

2. Make sure they know that a resume is part of a job search marketing plan. That it's not just a document that needs to get done and out of the way. And it's not the whole marketing approach. In fact, I discourage my clients from using them unless they absolutely have to, because I coach clients to do a networking-based job search, not an ads-based one. I'd rather have the resume be used as a proof source AFTER a client is in the door, than as a door-opener because it seldom works that way.

3. Make sure they spend much more than a total of 15-20 minutes with you on the phone to learn about your background. It's impossible to spend that little amount of time with most job search candidates to learn enough about them to even begin a new resume. I walk people through their background and work history from college (or sometimes earlier) through to today, and that takes at least an hour. And I learn so much, and love hearing each person's story. How else can you hear what each person's gifts are?

4. Make sure they understand how the resume screening technology works. How it looks at the resume, what it looks for, how to best present the candidate's background so that the resume makes it through the system to human eyes. This knowledge includes key words, which, whether screening technology is used or not, are vital.

5. Make sure they know how to share resume material with the candidate's LinkedIn profile, that they know how LinkedIn works and how employers/recruiters use it to find candidates, and LinkedIn's role in the job search. And how other social media play a role in today's job search. This grows more important by the day. In fact, I see the partnership between the resume and LinkedIn as so strong, that I won't do a resume without also coaching a client in how to best do -- and continually update -- their LinkedIn profile.

6. Need I say it: be sure they write resumes that focus on your VALUE to an employer, not on your history. So dispense with "responsible for" and instead make sure they point out achievements and accomplishments. Constantly.

7. Last, make sure they show you how to update and tweak the resume as you use it. After all, it's your resume and you need it to be flexible enough for you to customize for all kinds of companies or organizations. You don't want to have to call the writer to do it.

You may be wondering why I don't mention "make sure they're certified". I'm a certified coach, and there are many fine people in the field who are certified, especially around resumes. But there are students and then there are people who can truly use well in real life what they've learned. So make sure the professional has the most important certification of all: the endorsement of clients who began to land interviews once they had their new resume. AND those clients' referrals of friends and family to the writer. In other words, business built by word-of-mouth and networking, not by saturation of ads.

When you find someone who fits this profile, grab 'em. They're good. Really good.

Posted by Joanne Meehl | in Job Search, resumes, | No Comments »

Answering "Why have you been out of work for so long?"

May 31st, 2010 @ 04:05pm

As the unemployment rate -- official or otherwise -- begins to drop, those many professionals "still" in job hunt are beginning to feel left out of the party. Their one-year layoff anniversary date is upon them, or has just passed, and they are seeing people around them finally landing jobs. One of their fears is that employers will think they are the discards of the work force.

So the question, "Why have you been out of work for so long?" strikes particular fear in the hearts of most job hunting professionals. To them it sounds like "Is something wrong with you that a) you were laid off, that b) no one else yet has hired you, and/or c) that you're still looking?"

Even if you dismiss the minority of people in HR or hiring manager positions who have somehow missed the news that our country has been and still is -- job-creation-wise -- in a deep recession, as more and more people are hired, most decent decision makers will, indeed, wonder about those still looking.

Here are a way to answer. But first: I never believe that people are really in job search for as long as they say they are. People are in shock and denial for some time, even if, on autopilot, they immediately start sending out resumes. They dig up that old resume, make some additions, and start with checking out the online ads. They begin to attend networking groups but aren't really sure what to do. When, after a few months, those things don't generate much if any response, or they get trounced in an interview, they realize they have to change something.

So it's then that job hunters say, "I really need some help with this." They get that help in various forms. For those people who come to me, I tell them "You're really only just now starting your search. Until now, you've been just casting about for more clarity." The client, hearing this, actually feels relief to know they haven't been doing things they way they need to in order to land a good job, because now they know "it's not them", it's how they've been going about it. And they can fix that.

When the interviewer asks you this question, he or she is truly are plumbing about to learn "How does she handle things when they don't go her way?" Show them you're fine with it and will work hard to get into a better situation.

So. Now your search has taken 6 months, 8 months, a year. And they're asking you what you've been doing, and why hasn't someone else scooped you up?

Here's a real statement, unvarnished, from a real client: "I had a year's severance, so I took time off with my family during that time. I helped my daughter through a several projects at the junior high, and I did a lot of things around the house. Then I went to get my certification in xyz, and began applying for jobs. I did OK, even got a few interviews, but I knew I blew every one because I was so nervous and blanked a lot, and they never had me back for a second one. That scared me, so I took another few months off. Soon my health insurance is going to come to an end and I am in full gear to get a new job."

How she's going to tell the doubting interviewer that same information: "I'm sure you're well aware that many good people are available and looking for their next position, and the job search isn't what it used to be. I wasn't aware of that at first and jumped into it without doing my homework. That meant I spun my wheels a lot at for the first month or so. But, being a person who quickly changes what's not working in a project, I then did research to learn what I needed to fix. I sought out the Subject Matter Experts and learned how to better focus in on, and communicate better, what I do well. I can bring that same tenacity to you here at ABC Company."

In other words, it's OK to say that you weren't so smart about the early part of your search. As long as you show that you BECAME smart about it, quickly, and went on from there. That will reduce the time, in their minds, of you being between jobs. And the positive attitude revealed in that answer shows them you've left your old job behind and are ready for new challenges.

Other points:

Don'ts: Don't talk about painting the house (even if you've done it). Don't say "I've been looking for a job" (even if you think that's what you've been doing). Don't be defensive.

Do's: Certainly, you should talk about classes or seminars you've taken, certifications you've earned, internships, relevant volunteer experiences. Do emphasize that you've picked up new skills and methods that you can't wait to use on your next job. Do mention your pent-up energy, which you can direct within their company to get problems off their desks. Turn your long job search into a positive.

Those are the things that hold value to an employer, and the reasons why an employer WOULD, indeed, hire you, out of work a long time, or not.

Posted by Joanne Meehl | in Job Search, Networking, resumes, | No Comments »

Five Ways to Avoid Self-Sabotage in Your Job Search

June 28th, 2010 @ 08:06pm

Posted by Joanne Meehl | in Career coaching, Change, Job Search, Networking, resumes, The job search roller coaster, Your time, | No Comments »

Be Careful What You Ask For...You May Get Exactly the Opposite

June 29th, 2010 @ 11:06pm

There's an old saying in philanthropy that says "If you ask for money, you get advice. If you ask for advice, you get money."

I think it's similar when you're networking during your job hunt: "If you ask for a job as you network, you get advice. If you ask for advice as you network, you get a job."

Old suggestions say "Do 'informational interviews' and bring your resume, and be sure to talk about JOBS and POSITIONS with the contact." I've seen people do that and they don't get good jobs, they get advice and a well-intentioned "I'll keep you in mind". Which ends things with that contact.

What I recommend to job hunters, if they truly want to find a good job, is instead to leave the resume at home and make connections who can give you advice. Meet with them -- don't just talk on the phone --and make it a conversation about the field, the work, and how you love doing that work. Ask your contact about them and what they enjoy about the field. Focus on them, and they'll show more interest in you. In short, they'll get to know what you have to offer. Result: they'll feel confident sending you on to others in their network. Those "others" have the jobs.

Stay tuned for a networking seminar in August that focuses on this principle. We'll put the word out as the date gets closer.

Posted by Joanne Meehl | in Job Search, Networking, resumes, | No Comments »

How To "Rapid Response" Your Resume

August 7th, 2010 @ 04:08pm

You're thinking, "What a pain: these days, I have to tailor each resume so that it closely fits each position I apply for. Who has the time?"

Yet there are so many resumes going out for each position, that it is imperative that you send yours quickly, before the overwhelmed HR department or hiring manager cuts off the number of resumes sooner than anyone expects.

How can you get snappier at responding, so that it doesn't become agony to send out your resume each time? A few years ago, the member of a networking group I facilitated said it took him hours and hours to tailor each resume. I was shocked, and asked him what he was doing. "I completely start from scratch each time", he answered. "It's supposed to be custom, right?" No wonder it took so long! And no wonder each opportunity, even those he learned of through her network, gave him indigestion instead of joy.

Rather than that tedious approach, I coach my clients to use about 95% of the master resume they have developed in working with me. BUT, they can quickly change about 5% of that resume for each opportunity because I suggest they create "word wells" they can dip into. These wells -- simply a text or Word document -- hold the right words and phrases for positions they apply for or want created for them.

How does one do this?

The first step -- and you cannot leave this out -- is to take the time to think about the shades of differences between and among positions that interest you. For example, Jill in sales might love -- and be qualified for -- new business sales, technical sales, or major account sales. But each is different enough from the other to mean some significant changes in language between each resume she sends out. So Jill created lists of key words and phrases that are tightly relevant for each of these kinds of positions, labeling each group so that it's readily available for her. She also wrote down in those groups their relevant success stories, metrics, awards, and so forth. She updates each well as she networks and hears the latest about sales in her three target areas. Now, Jill has no way of knowing exactly which openings will occur or when. But she's ready, because she's done her homework.

When something does come open, she can replace phrases in her master resume with relevant words, phrases, achievements, metrics, sample successes, and other information that fits the open position. And she can do it in minutes because it's all right there and she does not have to rack her brain while under pressure.

So what positions in your field can you fill? Be ready with your "rapid response" the next time something presents itself to you. It's worth the time -- after all, it's for YOU.

Posted by Joanne Meehl | in resumes, | No Comments »

What Your College Career Office Isn't Telling You

December 26th, 2010 @ 01:12pm

They mean well, the counselors in your college career center. They do a good job of getting some recruiters in, and they maintain a wonderful database of previous graduates, they have alumni in to speak.

But where many fall down -- and I know this because I was guilty of this myself when I was in their role years ago -- is the lack of repeated direct contact with hiring managers, corporate recruiters, and HR, so that they keep up with how new grads should market themselves. They have a lot on their plate but they need to make the time for this direct-contact activity. Because this is something I do a lot of, I shape my comments around what those experts -- the ones with the jobs -- tell me that YOU, the candidate, need to know.

When I see some of the resumes that otherwise fine universities are creating for their college seniors, I cringe. In short, most of the resumes are about promoting the college, not the student. And they are static chronologies of internships and unrelated jobs, not marketing tools. New grads simply don't get their money's worth.

Even worse is when a graduate from earlier years goes back for help. I am working with a 2008 grad I'll call Sean who, in late 2010, went back to his GRADUATE school career office, and a senior counselor there kept Sean's education at the top of his resume, as if he were a brand-new grad. Unacceptable! The young man had had a professional job by now and THAT is what needs to be the focus of the reader's attention, not his education, which needs to be in its new home, at the end of the resume.

That senior counselor also made no effort to show any pattern in the Sean's budding career. He simply pasted in the jobs with no consideration of Sean's direction and focus. Worse, he left in Sean's college and summer jobs, which no longer had any direct bearing on his developing career and were taking up valuable space. So the resume was a hodgepodge. And in today's competitive market, that's exactly what Sean does not need.

The result for Sean: his old resume, over several months, landed him zero interviews. The new one he and I are now working on: it WILL land him interviews. And interviews lead to offers.

If only that counselor had, over the months and years in his job, taken "before" and "after" resumes and shown them to hiring managers and recruiters, he would have learned what works better. Or at least spent time talking with such folks at length.

What makes a resume "work"? It's when it communicates, by the middle half of page 1, what the person can do, and can do NOW. Sean's doesn't to that. Too many new grads' resumes don't do that. And that is such a shame. Companies and organizations out there are looking for great talent. But great talent still needs to market itself to the "buyer". This is where too many college career offices don't deliver.

Today's college career advisors need to show employers, students, and parents (the ones usually paying the huge tuition bills!) that they can take this new or recent grad and show them how to go out into the world and land their first great job. In order for college career counselors to do so, THEY have to know the way themselves. Any less than that, they're not doing their job or earning the salary -- for which you've already paid through your tuition.

So use them and expect a lot from them. They owe it to you.

______________________

See also my article about how college seniors can start NOW to do the work that will enable you to walk into a job upon graduation: http://exm.nr/collegeSrjobsearch, and my book for college seniors and recent grads, Yes, You Can Get That Job!

For a FREE booklet that maps recommended job search activity from January of your senior year through to June, send an email with the subject line "college booklet" to Joanne@TheJobSearchQueen.com.

Posted by Joanne Meehl | in College students, Job Search, resumes, | No Comments »

Even Your Best Friends Won't Tell You

February 5th, 2011 @ 12:02pm

Even your best friends won't tell you -- that they don't quite understand what you do. Oh sure, they know you're a Product Manager, or a Financial Specialist, or Director of Engineering, but do they really KNOW what you do? They'd never admit not knowing.

I'm reminded of that episode of Seinfeld, where Jerry is dating a woman named Dolores but cannot remember her name. He does everything he can to find out -- except to ask her -- because they've been dating too long for him to NOT know so it's too awkward. And he gets caught.

Are your some of your best friends (and even family) doing the same thing? Could this be why they aren't really helping you with your search, other than to be vaguely encouraging?

If they don't know what you really do, and what you do well, and who you need to connect with so that you can get to the next step in your career, then how can they help you?

They probably know your dreams and hopes. Now's the time to get more concrete and more detailed. So show them your resume, your LinkedIn profile, and tell them your career success stories. Tell them who -- by title and function -- you'd like to talk with so you can make great connections at your target companies.

So as you network, don't overlook the very people who are closest to you. They're your biggest cheerleaders! Help them help you.

____________________________

What is your job search strategy? It's unique for each person and determines your whole direction -- and often, your job search success. Contact Joanne Meehl for more about your search.

Posted by Joanne Meehl | in career change, job search strategy, Networking, resumes, | No Comments »

Two New Steps to A Painless Resume

March 6th, 2011 @ 03:03pm

A client I'll call Jake called me about updating his resume. He still liked his job, but a networking contact called about an opening that Jake would be perfect for. Seeing the full job description, Jake decided to send his resume.

He said "My first thought was 'Oh no, now I have to update my resume, what a pain'." He added, "Then I opened it and found I had very little to do except to update it with my latest position, update the key words, and highlight key words for this new opening!" Then he said "When you worked with me on my resume three years ago, I had no idea that it would be so painless to update. Wow!"

Why could Jake say that? Because when he and I redid his resume three years ago, we added two sections not always found on resumes, sections that tell the reader about Jake and what he offers. Those are all classic things about him. Sure, his jobs will change, but he will pretty much be the professional he is now.

Who is that person? Someone who gives companies value by being a technology leader, by testing and then adopting new technologies. New technologies that save a company a ton of money and time (which is money). The technologies may change, but Jake is always there to learn about them AND use them before anyone else. That won't change about him.

When I say two "sections", what I do mean? The first, at the top of his resume, is a professional Summary. I do not use "Objectives", and all the reasons why are in this blog entry of January 2010. Also, a Professional Summary is NOT a listing of your skills. Instead, it's short, punchy phrases about you. In Jake's case, here are a couple: Early adopter of useful new technologies. And Enterprise-wide consultant who quickly gets users on board. Wherever Jake is, he will always be doing those two things, and more. Like Jake, taking this step on your resume will make it so much easier to update yours as you use it.

Note that those are not empty phrases like "Goals-driven sales rep" -- if you're in sales I sure HOPE you're goals-driven! Don't waste that expensive resume real estate by stating the obvious. Or in puffery like "Seeking challenging position in a growing company blah blah blah", which no one reads any more.

Rather, do what Jake does. Tell the reader that which is classically true about you, from job to job, changing over the years to who you are -- and what you have to offer today.

The second "section", or step to having a resume that's painless to update, is the Strengths section. I don't mean StrengthsFinder strengths, which when plopped onto a resume look silly to me (my preference: weave those words into your narrative, if they're that telling about you). By "Strengths" I also don't mean "Skills". Instead, I mean skills that you have used AND with which you have generated successes. By "successes", we mean making or saving money for your organization. These are more specific than what you have in your Professional Summary, and they should include key words of your field.

So Jake's strengths include "Current versions of x, y and z programming languages". And "Tapped to be speaker at leading conferences". Both help him do his job and make his company look good.

For Tanika, who is the VP of Marketing at a resort, her strengths include "Highly connected with wedding planners", and "Cited as expert by all leading society magazines".

For Jason, a budding New Media guru, his include "Social Media addict" and "Seeks out newest marketing technologies".

What are you saying about you?

Your resume will certainly change over time. But focus on what's classic for you, what makes you successful over and over again, and when you need to update it, you won't be in pain.

_____________________

Is your resume landing you interviews? Make it happen: contact Joanne at Joanne@TheJobSearchQueen.com.

Posted by Joanne Meehl | in Job Search, resumes, Your time, | 1 Comment »

Do Hours = Effectiveness?

June 17th, 2011 @ 09:06pm

This week I saw a job hunt group email discussion about the best amount of time to spend on a search each week.

One person wrote this:

"I might spend 2 hours on a busy day. Most of that checking job boards/emails. I haven't had much traction with informal interviews or researching target companies."

He was joking, right? Unfortunately, no. His search will last a long, long time because in this still-volatile job market, it's ineffective. Here, ineffective means too one-dimensional, too brief, too PC-dependent.

Another person responded that she uses 50 hours a week to search, and listed a wide variety of activities, much better than the one-dimensional search of the first respondent. She listed networking groups for those between jobs and many online activities, and "some" networking. That's getting there, but those are way too many hours and can lead to burnout. If she shifts many of the online hours to in-person networking with employed people in his field, she'll be exposed to far more possibilities than she is now.

My answer is to do 25 effective hours a week. "Effective" means having a variety of approaches that are more heavily weighted toward being with live people than on the computer.

Why? Because it's what's working. Since 2009, when hiring began again after a devastating 2008, right through to this week, the people I'm seeing landing great, new jobs, are doing it by connecting with other people, live.

What does your search look like?

_____________________________________________________

Need to know better how to connect with those who can help you in your search? Then go here.

Posted by Joanne Meehl | in Job Search, job search strategy, Networking, resumes, The job search roller coaster, | No Comments »

A Resume DON'T: Don't Do White on White Keywords

July 24th, 2011 @ 03:07pm

Last week I was doing a presentation for over 50 professionals in job search about keywords. Keywords in a resume, LinkedIn profile, during networking meetings, and so forth. These nouns, adjectives, and phrases are growing more and more important in this technological age when so many resumes and LinkedIn profiles are being checked for them.

The old "white on white" text trick came up. This was something that began around the dawn of the Internet job search, back in the mid-90s: Create paragraphs of keywords, then put that paragraph in a blank area of your resume, then turn them white. They become invisible.

Not any more. Today, those are highly visible. And they'll get you in trouble for hiding them.

Someone in the room was in a seminar last month where the "expert speaker" TOLD people to do this in their resumes. What that speaker did not know is something that's pretty well documented for at least a year, in publications like the Wall Street Journal and technical blogs: that these "white" words CAN be seen by today's screening software programs. And they say if you do this, your resume (meaning, you) will be thrown out as dishonest and lazy.

That's not what you want, is it?

And given how important they are, why HIDE them? They should be visible to the human eye as well as to the digital one, and they should be woven into your bulleted items and summaries, not just plunked in with no thought.

Now that I've heard this yet again, it launches me on a personal mission to inform those who are telling you in job search to do this "trick", that they are spreading damaging advice. This advice is dangerous, so those teaching it have to learn they should stop.

So please send the link to this article to that person, as a favor to them and to those they speak to each week. You'll prevent a lot of damage to unsuspecting job search candidates.

Or alert me (either reply here or use the Contact form on my site) to those career counselors or others who have told you this, along with a way of contacting them. I will gently contact them and tell them what I've written above.

Thanks!

______________________________________

Not sure what keywords are best for you? Or where to put them or how to use them? Contact Joanne for help.

Posted by Joanne Meehl | in Job Search, job search strategy, resumes, Uncategorized, | No Comments »

Don't Wait for the Job Postings Tidal Wave -- or You'll Miss Getting a Job

July 29th, 2011 @ 07:07pm

From time to time hiring warms up and candidates get hopeful that finally, things are "back to normal". People around them are landing, and they see more jobs posted. Finally, the tidal wave of openings is coming back! Or is it?

All indications are that just as 2008 changed the economy for the last 2-3 years, it will have changed it *permanently*.

And that means that job seekers will not see any big wave of openings like there used to be. Yes, there are rare exceptions in certain locations and certain markets. But generally speaking, there will be no big rising tide that will lift all job search boats automatically.

Think about why: Today, companies are much more savvy about finding candidates in other ways, mostly by depending on current employees to find them. They are also attracting future employees through social media and inbound marketing. Their own screening systems are getting more and more sophisticated.

Yes, this month I've seen more job postings AND more job landings in my contact world than since the end of 2008. But 95% of those who've landed -- yes, a full 95% of them -- have come through networking, not by answering job postings and waiting for a response.

And just this week, Delta Airlines announced a workforce reduction of 2,000...and Boston Scientific announced cuts of 1,400 jobs. Despite there being some more postings lately, the cuts continue, unfortunately. One step forward, one back.

Lesson? Those who are looking must network: It's how people are landing jobs. If they continue to wait instead at their computer for the mythical wave of openings, they'll likely miss getting a job anytime soon. I've seen executives make this mistake as much as individual contributors.

So there's good news: With networking, you have more control over your search than you've ever had before.

So take control. Don't wait for waves that aren't coming.

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Stuck in your search and not sure how to break free? Contact Joanne Meehl.

Posted by Joanne Meehl | in Job Search, job search strategy, Networking, resumes, The job search roller coaster, Your time, | No Comments »

Beware of the Word "Experience"

January 2nd, 2012 @ 09:01am

The word "experience" can hurt you during job search. I say this to candidates of all ages.

How so?

1. The word "experience" can get in the way of other, clearer words that are more specific to your successes.

2. People just don't "see" it any more. It's lost its punch, its meaning.

Saying "I have all this experience" means nothing to the listener, especially if that listener is a networking contact or an interviewer. You'll get polite nods, but little more. They'll be thinking, "So... what does she mean?" But they probably won't ask. You must be more specific from the start -- including on your resume.

So use other words that are more precise, and "sparkier", as I like to say. For example:

Before - "I have 14 years of experience in surface mount technology."

After - "Over several years, I've enjoyed solving surface mount technology project problems."

Before - "I have experience using social media."

After - "At my company, I established the use of Twitter which has led to a 140% increase in our webinar enrollment."

Before - "I have several years' experience in cost accounting."

After - "Within cost accounting practices at my current company, I've become known as someone who streamlines processes without losing accuracy."

Replacing the word "experience" is especially true for the older worker, who is apt to complain to others, "With all my experience, it's taking me a long time to land a new job". But what do you really mean by "experience"? Is it vital stuff or did you do the same thing over and over for all those years? It's painful to see people put the word "experience" out there like it's gold when it's not -- until you say HOW that impacted your organization. Do you now see -- through the examples above -- that changing "that word" to the REAL things you've done will help you break through that barrier? Give it a try.

The word "experience" by itself is just not enough today. Be more specific, and tie the successes you've had to the potential employer's job. That way, you'll be able to apply your actual experience to their problems -- in a new job there.

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Want to "spark up" your wording? Joanne is a published wordsmith as well as a career choice and job search coach. Contact her here.

Posted by Joanne Meehl | in Job Search, job search strategy, resumes, Social media, | 2 Comments »