The Limits of the Possible
Did you see this?
“The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible” Arthur C. Clark (re-quoted from The Week and BBC.com).
Fall in Colorado is amazingly beautiful. We hiked Shadow Canyon today from S. Mesa trailhead to the saddle between S. Boulder Peak and Bear Peak yesterday. Funny, when we started our hike somewhat leisurely, we did not know what the day held. My friend and I agreed that we needed to get out into the Flatirons, breathe some fresh air and burn some post-Halloween calories. We hike a lot but had not hiked this trail. There was some good vertical- so we had to give it a try! The trail was beautiful, started out as a winding dirt road and takes a turn in to a sometimes well defined, sometimes “not” trail. As you get higher, it consists of huge rock formations, boulder…
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Your resume can help you move from specialist to generalist!
Several people ask for help in transitioning their resumes to speak to career changes from specialists to generalists. While specifically I am referencing educators and military professionals this topic is relevant to anyone applying for a new job.
Tip 1- capitalize on the specializations while allowing for the fact that not all recipients understand what you did in the last phase of your career (and sometimes, they don’t care to connect the dots). Don’t elaborate- make your jobs more accessible. Take the role of 3rd grade teacher looking to get into the private sector. If anyone can juggle multiple priorities, work across lines (think of all of the people you work “for”- principals, students, parents, school boards), meet deadlines on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. What about conducting performance assessments through grading, standardized testing etc. and providing feedback.
The same can be said for military. Call out team leadership, organization, follow through, working under tight timeframes, situational prioritization and discipline.
Tip 2- be realistic. You might have to take a step back to get your foot in the door (especially if you are not able to clearly articulate what you bring to a posted job). That is ok, getting in is the first step to promotion!
Your Work Experience – Your Resume
The next part of your resume is either accomplishments or your work experience (or both). My preference is both and that is what I am going to focus on! As a reminder, I would NOT use a header of “Work Experience”…the people who are viewing your resume get it and don’t need that precious space wasted. I love to see a call out of title, company (with snapshot) and a short summary of your job followed by accomplishments. As a fictitious example, see below:
Sr. Sales Manager, Recruiting Academy, a division of World’s Top Talent (NYSE: ), No City, State 2002 to present
Publically held company invested in talent identification and development with locations in x markets. Focused on selling long term and short term talent solutions to xyz
- Increased sales by 20% year over year through extensive networking and outreach
- Lead team in solution product development
When you have all of these elements represented for each job- you begin to build a meaningful chapter in the story that is your career.
I apparently like to include some controversial guidance. I think there are a couple different purposes for a resume- get the foot in the door, and application/get the interview. It is ok to have a pared down foot in the door version that does not have everything in it (but what it does have has to be totally accurate). It would be appropriate to have a footer that discloses a more comprehensive resume is available. So, if you had an interim job as a sales clerk for 6 months after being laid off, maybe leave that off of the initial foot in the door if it does not add value to your progression.
Resume Content- Prime Real Estate
Under your name and before your work experience lives PRIME real estate! If you are going to use it, make it worthwhile. The first 1/3 of the first page of a resume determines if a recruiter or hiring manager want to continue reading (or not). Whether you use it for an objective statement, a profile or a summary spend time getting it right!
This small paragraph can fulfill many roles of telling the reader your story, selling the reader on your capabilities, summarizing your experience or flopping massively.
Here are some examples in hopes that you are going to experience the value of this (versus me just pitching it to you).
Telling: Experienced accounts payable professional with 10 years of high volume invoice fulfillment experience. Looking for an AP Manager position that I can grow with.
Selling: My background is perfect for your job. I am a top performer with excellent reviews and I would be willing to speak with you about your job.
Summarizing: Qualified by 10 years of experience in Accounts Payable using Peoplesoft Financials and MS Excel. Looking for a job in a dynamic company.
Hybrid: Experienced accounts payable professional with 10 years of high volume invoice fulfillment experience. Seeking AP Management position with XYZ company where I can leverage my passion for mentoring and ability to use technology for optimal performance. Under my guidance, results will exceed goals and past performance.
Flopping: To secure a mid-management position in a stable company with great benefits where I can finish my career.
Okay, okay, hidden in the middle is the hybrid which would be my preference if you are going to include this in your resume. I am GLAD to review your hybrid statements if you want to throw them my way!
Formatting your resume
The paper resume- what is it really saying?
Let’s talk about the paper resume sent via mail in a high tech age. What is it really telling the recipient about you?
Most corporations have career sites (applicant tracking systems) to collect applications to ensure consistency in consideration. This is the preferred means of applying and reviewing applications.
- Is this applicant respectful of process? No.
Companies strive to reduce paper (and in fact have sustainability commitments).
- Is this person environmentally aware/friendly? Again, no (unless they are not thinking about how the recipient will receive this).
Content- This is a future topic for the blog but, at a high level, what does the content of your paper resume say?
- That you are confident your resume will stand out? I would argue not.
- That you are more qualified than anyone else? Not likely.
- That you are on top of trends? Definitely not.
What are paper resume exceptions? If you work in or want to work in the public sector, for a small mom/pop company, retail (perhaps)…it is still perfectly acceptable.
Next steps- think about your resume and how you use it. Look at the content first (and ensure it speaks to the job) and send it as the recipient wishes to receive it. This is a good starting point.
Cover letters…
Twice this week I have been asked about cover letters and the value of them. So here is Susan Recruits’ opinion. If your resume does not spell out why you are most qualified for a position, a cover letter isn’t going to either. I RARELY read cover letters that impress me. So if I do spend my time reading them, it is more to figure out “what are they thinking?” As a recruiter, a cover letter has never swayed my opinion. If you are expressing interest through an “apply now” link, don’t waste your time on the letter.
The exception is if you are sending your resume to a warm lead (directly to a hiring manager) for a job you are interested in and qualified for. In that instance a cover letter might be to your advantage. If you do this, use the letter to compare “you need” against “I offer.”
In summary, my caution is if you chose to use the cover letter, use it as a supporting document to a good resume. Even then I prefer job seekers spend their time building a quality resume that is customized to their understanding of the job description, requirements and company.
“Sometimes goodbye is a second chance”
For those of you who still visit, I am sorry. I cannot come up with a single excuse as to why I have not published recently. As we all know “dog ate my homework” doesn’t work with the internet. So, back to the races we go…
I was driving a while ago and heard a song that I have known for sometime. But, on this particular day it’s main line triggered a thought for job seekers. “Sometimes goodbye is a second chance.” What I mean to say is that when you lose a job or do not get the job that you want, it is NOT the end of the world! You can take it as “this just wasn’t the right job, there are better one’s out there” or take it as “an opportunity”.
For the second, I mean there are lots of opportunities if you chose to recognize them as such. They include 1. follow up and send a carefully calculated response to let the manager or hiring team know that you are ready to assist them, 2. ask for helpful feedback as to your performance or your application, 3. create a interim solution for the employer, 4. look at it as a learning opportunity AND/ OR, better, 5. all of the above! And, I have said it before but I think a huge portion of the process for the job seeker is to stay positive! Sometimes goodbye is a second chance.
Self sabbotage…sound familiar?
Self-sabbotage, sounds so…familiar. Not sure how and certainly not why but I am seeing trends in my life that I cannot help but explore. I am crazy cautious with anything new (or challenging). For example, I am so afraid of falling when I ski that I stick to green and blue runs and weave my way down them on my own time. And, I have not ever had a really bad spill. I am working on challenging myself though. When I ice skate, I slow myself down before I get going too fast. Funny, right? Guess what I have not fallen in years.
But you know this isn’t just about me (and my strange winter sports/exercise patterns). How often have you looked at a job, known you could do it but walked away because you didn’t want to be rejected? Why is that? We deal with rejection every day, it is part of our lives! Why don’t we learn to embrace the unknown and challenge ourselves to push through fears?
I am not saying apply to jobs you are not qualified for- NOT AT ALL. Instead don’t stop yourself from pursuing more information when you learn of a job that you could potentially add value to! In the instance of my strange exercise habits, don’t eliminate yourself from consideration before you even apply!
There is no guaranty that the interviewer will hire you (or even understand why you think you are qualified). Even if you are eliminated from consideration, look at it as an opportunity to learn! Life is all about growth and developing. Allow yourself to put your talents out there instead of opting out before ever jumping in. Take the leap and let yourself fall sometimes!
Patience and Persistence…a careful balance
Often I am asked “when can I follow up with you?” from interviewees. The best wisdom I can impart is that it is a careful balance between patience and persistence. As for the question itself, you ought to ask this question at the close of any interview (phone or face to face). And then critically listen for the answer- especially the message between the words.
When you ask “when can I follow up with you?” and the interviewer tells you “give me a week or two,” listen to that and set your follow up on your calendar for not earlier than a week and a half and then be diligent about actually following up. As a sideline, of course I consider the courtesy of a thank you note an exception to this rule. I definitely feel that you should send an immediate thank you note. Email is a perfect venue for this.
A few other canned responses I can think of are: “I am not sure, I am just starting the interview process,” “don’t call me, I’ll call you,” “expect a call or an email once we have decided about the next step”. After getting an answer along these lines, you need to demonstrate patience! While I do not hear any of these as being particularly positive, do NOT upset your chances by being too persistent.
Still you need answers and you should take it upon yourself to get some answers. Did you know you can sleuth without stalking. I am serious! Watch the company’s website or pull general Google/Bing searches to see if the position remains posted or advertised. If it is posted, that might be in your favor. If not posted and you have not heard back, a quick email is appropriate or LinkedIn note to acknowledge the fact that the position is no longer posted.
Another question I encourage you to ask at the close of an interview is along the lines of: “do you have any feedback based on our conversation” or “do you have any reason to think that I would not move forward in the interview process based on our discussion?” For those, if you are fortunate enough to get feedback (good, bad or otherwise), note it and don’t argue it! This is a great opportunity to learn, first of all from someone whose only base knowledge of you is based on your resume and your interview performance. That is great! And even if you don’t agree, that is that person’s perception. It is also an entrance to a creative follow up down the road or in your thank you note. Why can’t we say “thank you so much for taking time to speak with me about XYZ position. I remain very interested in this opportunity and appreciate your candid feedback. In regard to (whatever critique is offered), I do want to share with you (some numbers, a success story, something my boss used to say). I apologize if I did not adequately communicate this during our discussion.”
Carefully determine when it is appropriate to be patient or be persistent. The reward could be the job you desire (or a great “in” within the hiring population).
Susan Recruits' Blog 